


In Your Face And Here To See It Through

by Jumpyrope



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Changed the rating back to Mature bc I moved the filth to its own fic, M/M, Slow Burn, Some spoilers for the third palace actually, Tag changed to underage because high schoolers, finally I give in and write a fic for these gay ass boys, let ryuji say fuck 2k17, nothing explicit here anymore, tags subject to change as I continue, this takes place just after the second palace, very naughty but nothing super duper naughty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-11-21 13:39:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 47,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11358627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jumpyrope/pseuds/Jumpyrope
Summary: Ever since his path crossed with the new transfer student that first rainy day, Ryuji Sakamoto finally felt alive.





	1. Right before your eyes

**Author's Note:**

> I was embarrassingly close to naming this "does Ryuji Sakamoto is gay?" End me

Ever since his path crossed with the new transfer student that first rainy day, Ryuji Sakamoto finally felt alive. 

Akira Kurusu looked odd at first. Unkempt hair, round glasses, hands in his pockets like he thought he was cool. He was kind of cool admittedly, but that's not the point. Ryuji met him when trying to stop Ann from getting into that car with that Kamishida bastard. It was hard for him to be polite when he was seething already at the idea that he might put his dirty kid-punching hand on her leg. The transfer didn't seem to care. In fact, he barely said anything as Ryuji talked to him. Still, they agreed to walk to school together, taking a shortcut Ryuji used every damn day of his life. How could he have ever guessed this would be different? 

That was around two months ago. Since then Ryuji's faced fear and anger like nothing he's felt before, but those were nothing compared to the freedom and joy he's felt since first transforming into his Skull outfit. He and Akira became friends, best friends if you asked Ryuji. Akira didn't tell him much about exactly how he felt, but he hoped the fellow reject of society would say the same. 

Ryuji looked up across the table of the booth in LeBlanc, watching as Akira rubs his forehead before leaning his cheek on his fist, pen tapping against the paper he was reading. When he feels eyes on him, he looks up over the rim of his glasses to meet Ryuji's gaze.   
"Problem?" Akira asks, pausing his pen tapping.   
"Oh, nah I'm good. I was just thinkin'." Ryuji leans back in the seat and slides down a little, spreading his legs out under the table until he feels the booth on the other side hit the toes of his shoes.   
"About?" Akira prompts him to continue, the tapping continuing again.   
"Just, everything." Ryuji clarifies, poorly. Akira raises an eyebrow, pressing the blonde to go on. "I mean, y'know. It's been a kind of crazy year. I mean, shit man, I met you, we almost died, we became phantom thieves, teamed up with Ann and later Yusuke, took down two big targets, and helped a ton of people along the way." After he finishes, Morgana perks up from his spot on the barstool they had pulled over for him to lay on. 

"I think you're forgetting something, Ryuji." The cat says, an annoyed tone. He had thought the feline was asleep.   
"Oh. Yeah. Duh. And Morgana was there too. But anyway,"   
"Hey!" Morgana sits up, licking his paw before stamping it down in front of himself. "I was- AM more important than that!"   
"As I was saying, it's been pretty crazy." Ryuji ignores the cat completely. Morgana just sighs in annoyance and lays back down, deciding it isn't worth getting into arguing over with Ryuji. 

Akira just listens to him, nodding every so often and smirked when Morgana got all pissed off, mouth only partially hidden by the pen he brought up in front of his face to idly tap his lips with.   
"Yeah, seriously." The boy agrees, dropping his arm back to the table and looking down again to keep reading. Ryuji frowns a little and sits back up. That dude was seriously serious about studying, he notes. 

Ryuji only lasts a little longer before leaning his head back and groaning out with exasperation. Akira doesn't look up at him this time.   
"Problem?" Is all he says, now chewing on the end of his pen.   
"Yes, problem! This whole effin' paper, problem!" Ryuji pouts, putting his hands back on the table to lift himself up higher. This time Akira looks up, a smirk on his face and pen wiggling from the corner of his mouth. Ryuji can already tell he won't like this.   
"What, you can't read?" The guy teases, and Ryuji throws his own pen at that shit eating face as he sits back down. Akira laughs, and Ryuji groans louder. 

"You're such an ass sometimes, you know that?" The blonde crosses his arms and slouches further into his seat. Akira just nods blankly as he looks back down at his paper, pulling the pen from his mouth to write a few notes in the margin and circle some stuff. Ryuji grumbles and sits back up, trying to follow his team leader's example. It isn't long before he's ruffling his hair in frustration. 

"Aaaargh I don't understand this! What are we supposed to be looking for here? It's just a bunch of dumb words talking about a dumb path this dumb guy walks down because he's too 'unique and quirky' to take the paved one! How am I supposed to analyze this?" He slams a fist down on the table and Morgana jumps with a yowl, fur bristling. Akira looks up, actually looking kind of serious.   
"Ryuji, calm down."   
"Yeah, Ryuji! Can't you see people are trying to take a nice nap here?" Morgana takes on and Ryuji flaps a dismissive hand at him, shooing him.   
"Oh, beat it, cat." He grumbles and Morgana bunches up like he's about to pounce on his face. Ryuji gives the cat a look like "I dare you."   
"Both of you, calm down." The two quarrelers' eyes widen and then look a little ashamed as Akira raises his voice in warning. The grey eyes scan between the two of them, demanding an apology. Ryuji feels his stomach drop every time he gets that look, and he seems to get it a little too often sometimes.   
"Sorry, bro." He mumbles, looking off to the side to study the wall. Morgana slouches, ears drooping.   
"Sorry, leader." He meows. Their apologies seem to suffice and when Ryuji looks back at his friend there is a much softer expression.   
"It's fine. I just get tired of you two arguing. Ryuji, be quieter and Morgana, why don't you go lay down on the bed upstairs?"   
"But I wanna stay down here with yo-" Morgana tries to complain, but Akira tilts his head at him slightly and that is all that is needed for the cat to slink off grumbling something about "no appreciation." 

Ryuji sighs, rubbing the back of his neck shamefully.   
"Sorry dude. I just got so worked up over this damn poem BS and then the cat starts nagging me and, y'know. Thanks for pulling me back down, I guess." Ryuji frowns, but tilts his head up in surprise when he hears a soft laugh. Akira is covering his mouth with one hand, eyes closed. He looks back over at Ryuji and for some reason the blonde's heart skips a beat.   
"It's fine, I'd really rather not have Morgana claw your face off, or have you punch the poor guy all the way over the bar." Akira reaches his hand towards his friend and Ryuji sits back a little, confused. He is strangely relieved when all he does is grab his paper and turn it over, pulling it towards himself to look at. "Hm." Is all he says, flipping through the pages.   
"What?" Ryuji leans forward, wondering what had Akira thinking. The black haired boy tilts his head in a quick nod at the seat next to him, scooting closer to the wall. Ryuji takes the cue and walks over to the other side, sitting right up close to his friend to look at the paper. He unconsciously throws an arm over Akira's shoulder. 

"You were kind of onto something with your complaints, actually." Akira explains, flipping a page over to write on the blank side. "What did you call the speaker again? Unique and, uh, quirky?" Akira turns his head with a raised eyebrow to Ryuji. The blonde suddenly wonders why their faces are so close together.   
"Yeah, but I meant it like, mocking. Like calling him some special snowflake because he's 'not your average traveler, he walks on the road less traveled.'" Ryuji sticks out his tongue in a disgusted look. "Bleh. Walking away from societal norms don't make you special. You really don't need to write some pretentious dumb poem about it neither." Ryuji's arm bumps up and down with Akira's shoulders as the latter chuckles. "What?" Ryuji leans forward to get a better look at his laughing friend's face.   
"I was just thinking. Isn't what you just said he was doing the same that we do all the time as Phantom Thieves?" Akira gives him a challenging look and Ryuji sputters.   
"Well, uh, yeah I guess. But we don't write dumb poems about it that dumb English teachers make people analyze." Ryuji's grumpy answer pulls more amusement from Akira.   
"You've got me there. But seriously," he looks over and grey eyes meet brown ones, "if you keep rolling with this idea, you might have something to base your paper on. You just have to refine it more." Ryuji's jaw drops a little.   
"You mean that this counts? I'm allowed to bash a poem and get credit for it?" His eyes sparkle as a whole new world opens up for the rebel. Akira nods.   
"If you refine it. You do have to make a proper paper, but I guess I could help you with that when the time comes. Let's take a break from this for now, it's been about an hour." Ryuji bounces on his seat, removing his arm from around Akira's shoulders to instead put one hand on each shoulder, tilting both of them to face each other. Grey eyes widen and Ryuji thinks he maybe saw a hint of color on the pale face, but he probably imagined it.   
"You serious? Dude, yes! Thanks! I'll pay you back for it, totally! I'll, uh. Do something helpful or good for you in return. How's that sound?" Ryuji's enthusiastic grin brings a smile to Akira's face as well. The paler boy takes his glasses off to wipe them on his shirt, giving Ryuji a sly look unhindered by the specs. It's a little intimidating, as well as a little bit of something else that Ryuji can't quite put his finger on.   
"That sounds great, Ryuji. You better think up something good or else I'll have to make you do something else for me." Akira finishes with his glasses and slides them back up his nose, and the sly look is gone. Ryuji swallows.   
"Ha ha, what?" The innocent look in Akira's eyes makes the blonde wonder if he was misreading the tone a moment ago. "What would you want me to do?" Akira shrugs blithely.   
"I don't know. I'll leave it up to you unless I think of something. But I kind of want to see what you come up with first." The friendly tone is more natural and normal and Ryuji relaxes a bit.   
"Alright cool. Do I got a time limit, or...?" He leaves the question hanging, watching as Akira looks up thoughtfully.   
"Hm. Well, obviously before the year is over. It'll be hard to do something nice for me if I'm not here to receive it." Akira takes a joking tone, but notices Ryuji's frown at the thought of his friend going away. "But I'm sure you'll think up something before then." Akira pats his friend's shoulder twice before leaving his hand there, gripping a little. "You're smarter than you know, Ryuji. And you know I'll probably love whatever it is you do as long as there's heart behind it." 

Akira's eyes are staring directly into Ryuji's own wide ones. He feels his face heat up at the words before shrugging off Akira's hand.   
"Geez, you sound like Yusuke. 'As long as there's heart behind it.' Dork." Ryuji stands up and stretches outside of the booth, missing Akira's disappointed expression. "It's gettin' kinda late, my dude. I think I should head home before it gets real dark out. You heard about the crimes going on lately, yeah? I don't want to get mugged or suspected by the police. Plus my mom worries, and she's probably eaten dinner alone a lot-"   
"Ryuji, it's okay. You don't need to give me the whole list. Be careful on your way home." Akira smiles kindly at him and stands up, stepping towards him. Ryuji looks at him with confusion as he just stands there staring at him, way too close for causality.   
"Uh-" he starts, but the second Ryuji's lips parted, Akira had patted his friend on the shoulder and turned to start cleaning up the booth.   
"See you in school tomorrow." He says, straightening the papers on the table. Ryuji shoves his own carelessly into his bag before shrugging it on his shoulder.   
"Yeah, see you tomorrow bro." He went to the door and stepped out, making sure the 'closed' side of the sign was front facing for good measure, and let it shut again with a ding. 

Akira finished putting the papers away back in his bag before leaning over the table, hands flat and arms straight to hold him up. Slowly, he lifts up a fist before bringing it down with a bang on the table.   
"Heeeeyyy!" A whiny meow doesn't even make him twitch as he stood perfectly still over the table, both hands flat again. "What's that noise? Did you drop something?" Little padded footsteps patter down the stairs. "Are you gonna come up to bed soon?" 

Akira raises his head and picks up his bag, smiling warmly at Morgana.   
"Yeah, lets go to sleep."


	2. The short end of the stick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fun trip to the mall isn't quite as amazingly fun as these friends always thought it would be. Curse that lying media.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friends can be your angle, or yuor devil. If you were expecting Ryuji and Akira to be gay immediately you are mistaken. There must be conflict!! Enjoy..?

Ann had suggested they all get together and have fun at the underground mall. Currently standing outside the girl's bathroom while waiting for Ann to take a leak was not Ryuji's idea of fun. Seriously, he wonders, why do girls take so freaking long in there? 

He sighs, looking down at his phone to go back over the text conversation since Yusuke had pulled Akira over to the side to talk alone. Ryuji shot a glance in their direction, and neither of the guys were making many expressions to tell him the kind of conversation they were having. It pissed him off and he scowled down at his phone, scrolling up aimlessly.   
"Dammit, if you have something to say, you can say it to the rest of us!" He wanted to yell, but he merely muttered it to himself. "There's no secrets between the five of us! Don't leave me out." 

Ryuji shakes his head, closing the phone and shoving it back in his pocket. He looks back over at his two friends still talking all secret like. He isn't sure exactly what the sharp pain in his chest was when he looked at them.   
"That used to be us. He used to put everything aside to talk to just me. He was my friend first." The words spoken unconsciously only reaches his ears, and Ryuji realizes with dull surprise that he was being jealous. 

At first he felt a little ashamed. He couldn't get all possessive over Akira, Ryuji is 100% positive that the independent teen would not approve of that. But the more he looks over at the two of them talking without him, the worse he feels. 

Ryuji doesn't know that he walked over to them until he places his arm on Akira's shoulder and casually leans into their conversation bubble like he does as Skull when Joker opens a treasure chest. Akira looks unsurprised and Yusuke gives him a very poorly hidden glare. 

"Yo, what're you two talkin' about?" Ryuji asks loudly, watching Yusuke's eyelid twitch.   
"You know, I may not be the most socially adept person in the group, but even I know that interrupting a conversation is very ill mannered." Yusuke crosses his arms over his chest and juts a hip out in a sassy sort of pose. Ryuji straightens his back a little more, leaning less on Akira.   
"No harm intended dude. We're all friends here, I figured that whatever you have to say, you can say it to the whole group." Ryuji's counter has Yusuke looking a bit uncertain.  
"I..... suppose?" The artist opens his mouth to continue but another voice interrupts. 

"Ryuji." The person it directed to jumped at the warning tone. Ryuji removed his arm from Akira's shoulder, and even Yusuke looked a little surprised. Then, a much softer tone is used. But it almost feels too soft, somehow. "We'll be finished talking soon. Go wait for Ann at the bathrooms." Ryuji opens his mouth to argue but Akira cuts him off with a "please?," looking at him in a strangely begging sort of way. The expression did not look right on Akira's face. 

Ryuji backed up, nodding as he shoved his hands in his pockets.  
"Yeah. Sure, no prob." He responds quietly before turning to go slouch against the wall near the girl's restroom door. 

Akira looks down and sighs.   
"You seem troubled." Yusuke notes as Ryuji walks away. "Is there anything I can-"   
"No, I'm alright. Go on, what were you saying?" 

Ann's voice makes Ryuji jump out of his brooding thoughts as he leaned against the wall.   
"Hey! Wait, where's everyone else?" She looks around quickly, overlooking the little corner behind the pole where the other two phantom thieves stood. Three, technically, if you count Morgana. Ryuji just adds him onto Akira's spot in the headcount usually. 

"They're off in the corner playing secret buddy club that Ryuji can't be in." Ryuji points over to them all grumpy and Ann makes an "oh" noise when she sees them. Then she looks at Ryuji with pity.   
"Oh, I'm sure they're not excluding you specifically. They're probably talking about something private." Ann explains optimistically. Ryuji kicks the floor.   
"Yeah, but what's so private that they can't tell me?" He whines.   
"Well, Ryuji, you're not that good at keeping secrets." Ann points out with a pitying smirk. Ryuji huffs in response, flicking that smirk off her face. She gives him an angry "hey!" but he doesn't pay attention.   
"I'm just fine at keeping secrets! Besides, we're the Phantom Th-" Ann slaps a hand over his mouth.   
"Ryuji!" She whisper yells, looking around paranoid. "Not so loud!" Ryuji huffs and she releases her muffle then wipes her hand off on her shirt. Ryuji is only mildly offended, yet understands.   
"Okay okay! Sheesh. But as I was saying, all of us are.... a team. There shouldn't be secrets if we're battling for honesty." His point is good, Ann must admit. But then she snaps her fingers. 

"Oh! Akira's always got Morgana with him. If it's really private, they would've asked him to wai-" a feline-ish yawn cuts Ann off and makes both teens jump.   
"I heard my name?" Morgana walked past Ryuji to sit between him and Ann.   
"M-Morgana?!" Ryuji stands up straight, stepping away from the cat like it was a bad spirit. "Where the hell did you come from?"   
"Uh, the corner right there?" The cat points with his tail at the corner of the wall not too far away. "I've been sitting there since Akira told me to wait while he spoke to Yusuke." Ryuji blinks in surprise, looking between the two over at the other side of the hall and the cat in front of him.   
"You're telling me you're not in Akira's bag?" He asks, completely serious.   
"Obviously." Morgana looks at him in disapproval. Ryuji doesn't care, looking back over at the other end of the hall suspiciously.   
"Then what the hell are they talking about.." Ryuji's question is shared through all three of them now, all of them looking over at the two boys. Then Akira turns around and starts walking back towards then, giving his usual "come on" nod to Yusuke, and everyone panics.   
"Crap! Act natural, like you weren't staring." Ryuji orders in a whisper-yell as he takes up the spot he just was relaxing against the wall, his arms crossed and one leg folded to put his foot on the wall. Morgana just sits the same way he was, casually licking his paw with tail swaying. Ann was....   
"Ann! What the hell are you doing??" Ryuji is starting to hurt his throat with all the whisper yelling.   
"Acting natural!" She responds, wobbling. For some reason, she had decided that standing on one leg and sticking her arms out was natural. Ryuji is at loss for words. 

"Ah, Ann, that is an... interesting position." Yusuke's voice have them all looking his direction. Akira stood by him, an eyebrow raised. 

"Aha, well, ha, you know! Just trying out different forms of self expression, yeah!" Ryuji wants to facepalm so hard. He hears a quiet and disapproving "Lady Ann..." from Morgana at his feet, the cat shaking his head slowly. Yusuke actually seems to buy it though, nodding approvingly. 

"How inspired! To act out of normality with people all around is quite bold. I applaud you." Yusuke looks pleased, and Akira bends his head down while fixing his glasses, his shoulders moving once. Ryuji knows him well enough that he can tell Akira is laughing silently but hiding it. He lifts his head back up in a few seconds, face perfectly stoic. Damn, how does he do it? 

"So, should we get going?" Ann takes the lead, clapping her hands together once.   
"Yeah." Ryuji pushes off the wall, turning to face everyone better while cracking his knuckles.   
"It sounds quite good to me." Yusuke, pushes some hair out of his face. Ryuji wonders why the guy can't just talk like a normal person.   
"Lets go." Akira nods, taking the first steps forward to lead everyone. Morgana stands up, jumping into the bag that Akira held down close to the floor for cat accessibility. 

The group wanders around for a while, but it isn't as much fun to look at all the cool stuff that you know you can't afford as one might think. Surprising. Everyone ends up just standing around outside a tshirt shop looking lost.   
"Well! This was. Fun." Ann says, hands on her hips. Ryuji slouches a little more than he usually does.   
"This was totally lame as balls." He grumbles.   
"Hm, balls aren't all that lame." Akira responds thoughtfully.   
"Dude I wasn't talking about the ones that have the word 'basket' or 'golf' in front. I was talkin-" Ryuji's unnecessary explanation is cut short.   
"I know Ryuji, so was I." Akira says, making eye contact with the blonde. Confused brown eyes try to read amused grey ones before the staring competition is cut short by Ann. 

"Geez okay okay, can we stop talking about balls now? It's frickin' weird." Ann crosses her arms tight around her chest. Yusuke nods uncomfortably beside her.   
"Yes I agree, this is rather... unsavory." He frowns, even his disgusted face still looks somehow pretty.   
"Could be worse. Could be calling 'em tes-" Akira's firm hand on Ryuji's shoulder silences him. 

"I apologize, I couldn't resist the opportunity." Akira genuinely apologizes to the other two.   
"Opportunity to what?" Ann asks in confusion.   
"Is anyone hungry? I keep hearing Morgana's stomach growl through the bag." Akira ignores the question and Ann legs it go, but still raises an eyebrow.   
"Dude, yeah. I'm starved." Ryuji stands up straight, more excited. Yusuke pats his stomach and looks down at himself, as if trying to see how empty of food he was.   
"Ah, yes. I think I have enough to afford some lunch. It has been a couple days since I've last had a meal." Yusuke comments, as if it's ordinary. Ryuji leans forward in disbelief.   
"Dude! You're gonna get like, actual starved!" The blonde shakes his head, stepping forward. "Oh no no no, this just won't do. We need to get some real calories in you." He takes Yusuke by the shoulders and starts walking him forward. Yusuke goes as the hands guide him, stuttering out as he tried to protest. "You need some real meat on those bones, you can't fight shadows if you're a skeleton." Ryuji explains and Yusuke shoots him an angry glare, similar to the look in his eyes when in battle. 

"Unhand me!" The artist commands, grabbing Ryuji's hands off his shoulders and wiggles his way out of the grip, spinning around to face him. He poses with his back bent backwards, hand in front of his face before he flings it out straight towards Ryuji.   
"I swear, if you speak to me with such words and manhandle me again, I will be sure to 'miss' my target in the next battle. How do you like the sound of being frozen solid?" Yusuke's tone is threatening but loud, and his stance didn't make them any more discreet. Ryuji hears people talking about them as they walked past, and a few people even stopped to watch them.   
"What are they doing?"   
"Is this some sort of acting troupe?"   
"Did he say 'battle?'" 

Ryuji puts his arms out in front of himself to gesture Yusuke to stand down. It didn't seem to do much, but Akira, as always, saved the day.   
"Yusuke!" His voice is stern and immediately Yusuke changes from an animal ready to pounce to a frightened rabbit. He then soon covers this up, standing up straight once again with a cough to clear his throat.   
"He was touching and insulting me." Yusuke complains in the most dignified way he can.   
"Yes. He was. I'll have to punish him for that." Akira responds seriously and Ryuji takes a step back and looks at his friend, stunned.   
"What'd'ya mean, punish me?" He asks, confused and slightly fearful. Akira keeps talking over him, not listening at all.   
"It wasn't right to act out like that though. Save that energy for Mementos. If you do need to lash out, do it quieter." Is the only admonishment that Yusuke gets, while Ryuji is still completely befuddled.   
"What kind of punish?" He asks again, and nobody pays attention to him, Ann bouncing over to their leader's side. 

"Wow, you totally went Joker-mode right there!" She comments and Akira rubs the back of his neck, looking a little embarrassed.   
"Oh, did I really? Haha." He chuckles a little, and the three of them start walking off.   
"Wait, I'm still askin' questions here! Where're you guys walking?" Ryuji stands there.The people who were watching shaking their heads with laughter as they too walk away.   
"Hey come on!" He watches them walk further away, but he can see far enough to see Morgana hang out of the bag just to stick his tongue out at Ryuji. The poor boy left behind groans and kicks the ground.   
"Effin' assholes." He mutters before taking off into a jog to catch up with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are these weirdos all friends they're so different. That's the magic of it.   
> Please leave a kudos and comment if you like! I reeeaaaally apreciate that and need it for sustenance.


	3. A pleasant lunch at Big Bang Burger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not gay if it's in space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol this chapter's notes page is titled "Yusuke eats the hell" I was too close to actually naming the chapter that.   
> Anyway enjoy!

After much arguing and many disagreements, lunch was decided to be at Big Bang Burger. Yusuke was quite grumpy about this decision, but decided to agree after much prodding from everyone. Besides, he couldn't keep arguing when he was growing hungrier every second they talked about any sort of food. However, upon entering, Yusuke promptly turns around and tries to walk back out.   
"Hey, where do you think you're going, turn that ass around and stick with us!" Ryuji calls out to the fleeing male. Yusuke looks back at him exasperated.   
"No, please, I won't survive another moment in this- this- grease factory!" Yusuke was basically pleading, but Ryuji grabs him by the hand and pulls him back in line with the others.   
"Oh quit being such a pretentious baby. You'll like it!" Ryuji goads him on, but Yusuke continues to try to pull away even though he still followed. He opened his mouth to respond, but once again a cool voice flies past Ryuji's head and says exactly the right thing. 

"Yusuke, come on. It won't be that bad, besides, don't you want to start trying new things?" Akira turned back to look at the uncertain artist.   
"Well, yes, that is true. But, maybe this is just a little TOO new." Yusuke fidgets, but stands in the line with the rest of them.   
Akira takes Yusuke's hand from Ryuji's grasp and holds it between both of his own hands, forcing the eye contact between the two of them so Yusuke can see that he can trust Akira.   
"It'll be okay. And if you really don't like it, you'll never have to eat here again." Akira's soothing words convince Yusuke as the artist sighs and nods in defeat, and Ann claps in victory.   
"Yesss! The gang's all here!" Her cheer contaminates Yusuke, and Akira smiles proudly as the thin boy goes up to the front to stand by her. Ryuji just looks at Akira in quiet admiration. 

"Dude, how do you do that?" Ryuji questions his friend with wide eyes.   
"Do what?" Akira looks over with confusion.   
"Always say the right thing. How?"   
"I don't always say the right thing." Akira responds, stepping forward as the line moves. There sure are a lot of people around here at lunch time.   
"Oh you know what I mean, not literally all the time. You're just good at getting people to listen to you, is what I'm sayin'." Ryuji huffs, flapping his arm dismissively. Akira frowns and lets out a thoughtful, quiet hum.   
"Not good enough, I guess." He looks a little frustrated, staring down at his hands as if he was seeing them as useless doll hands. 

Ryuji frowns before wrapping his arm around his buddy's shoulder, putting on a smile.   
"Hey, don't get so down! The past is the past, it's not your fault that guy you punched was a rich and popular asshole. You could've said anything you wanted to plead your case, it would just end up being muffled by cold hard cash. And call me selfish or whatever, but I'm kind of glad you got sent here. Really glad, actually. I can't begin to imagine what my life would be like now if I had never met you." Ryuji's little speech has Akira smiling by the end of it, and he reaches an arm out to sling around the other's back just the same.   
"Didn't think you were so sentimental, Ryuji." Akira teases, and the other shrugs.   
"So what if I am! Really I'm just super happy to have met you, the best thing in my damn life." Ryuji admits honestly, nodding his head and looking forward. He misses the stunned expression on Akira's face and instead sees Ann smirking back at the two of them like she knows something they don't. Ryuji pulls himself away from his friend and gets closer to her. "The hell's with that face, Takamaki?" He starts, and an unimportant playful banter ensues.   
"Oh, nothing~!"  
"Then why d'you look so smug! Am I missing something here?"   
A satisfied little chuckle has them continuing in this fashion, speaking a lot but saying nothing, really. 

Akira stays back for a moment, just standing there. He's snapped out of his daze when Morgana pops his head out on his shoulder and complains.   
"Why're we stopped? How long is this line?" The cat grumbles. Akira doesn't respond, moving up to stand closer to the group. 

Food is ordered and delivered, but everyone is paying attention to one thing. Sitting in front of their brave leader was a ridiculously large burger that was bigger than his head. He looked like he was bracing himself for a strong attack from it.   
"Holy crap dude!" Ryuji leans into Akira's space, sitting next to him. Across the table, Ann is looking just as astonished as Ryuji. Next to her, across from Akira, Yusuke was covering his mouth. From disgust or surprise, it was hard to tell. 

Akira sighs, leaning his head side to side until he hears a crack and prepares himself, settling into his seat further. He notices everyone staring at him and looks a little less confidant.   
"What? You get a prize if you eat the whole thing." He explains, looking between all of their faces. Surprisingly, Yusuke is the first to speak.   
"I admire your courage. But please, if you feel the need to... empty your stomach if it gets to be to much, turn to your right or left." Akira nods, but Ryuji sits up.   
"Hey! If he turns right he'll be facing me!" He looks honestly worried, and Yusuke shrugs.   
"Let's hope he turns left then." Yusuke's response is blank and uncaring so Ryuji turns to his best bro with a pleading look in his eyes.   
"Dude. Bro. Buddy. Whatever you do, please don't ever puke on me." Akira places a hand on the worried boy's shoulder.   
"None of you should be worrying, I won't throw up at all. I've done this before." Akira calms them down before he looks back at the intimidating burger. "But this is bigger than I'm used to, I wonder if I can take it all." 

The three boys jump when Ann slams her hands on the table.   
"Ugh! Will all of you stop talking about puke? You're going to ruin my appetite." She sends a glare at all of them. Yusuke agrees quickly.   
"Ah, yes. This is all unappetizing enough, I do not need to be disgusted any more." 

Everyone agrees to not talk about gross stuff any more and just get down to eating. Ryuji starts devouring his burger without a care, dropping ketchup off the side.   
"Ew, who even uses that much ketchup." Ann leans back, pulling her plate closer to herself and away from him. Ryuji swallows most of what he's chewing, but has the decency to cover his mouth as he speaks with his mouth still somewhat full.   
"You're lookin' at'im." 

She rolls her eyes, directing her attention to her own plate instead of continuing to worry about the frightening amount of the condiment Ryuji decided to smother his food in. Ann had gotten a bunch of smaller burgers, but added up there was more meat in that bunch than in a normal sized burger. Yusuke agrees to eat one of Ann's small sliders. Even Akira stops attacking the monster in front of him for a moment to watch Yusuke take his first bite. The artist gives them all a look of annoyance.   
"Must you all watch me like I am a performer or something else in the realm of entertainment?" The consensus is that yeah, they do have to watch. He groans, and after a sigh of defeat, takes the smallest bite. Yusuke chews thoughtfully, his brows bunched. After he finally swallows, he folds his hands and sets his elbows on the table, leaning his chin on his hands. Then his hands move to cover his face and Ryuji thinks he sees him start to cry. 

"My god. This is. So mundane yet, unreasonably delicious. It is simply ground meat, bread, and provolone but it is exquisite, unlike anything I've tasted before...!" He shakes his head, like he was questioning everything in the universe. "How is this possible? Why is this possible? Why do they charge so little for these artery clogging masterpieces? Do they not know how tempting it is to come back when the prices are so unreasonably small?" He looks up, eyes actually watery with emotion. Ann raises her eyebrows and Akira's expression is unreadable. Yusuke puts a hand out to shun the rest of the burger, turning away. "No, I mustn't have more, lest I risk becoming addicted to the world of the unhealthy foods." He stays like that, a hand all draped over his forehead. 

"Dude just eat the burger it's not that complicated." Ryuji is the first to speak, his flat tone a sharp comparison to the dramatic scene the artist had unwittingly put on. Yusuke opens his eyes and looks at Ryuji before he relaxes his pose and sits normally again.   
"Ah, perhaps I got a little too moved by the flavor. My apologies." Without more dramatics, he continues to eat. The rest of the table continues as well, and after everyone but Akira is done, conversation is struck. 

"So, Yusuke, how do you feel about the 'Grease Factory' now?" Ann leans on the table with her arms folded in front of her. Yusuke sits back in his seat and lets himself relax.   
"It is still a factory of grease as I originally said, but perhaps a bit of unhealthy flavor is not so bad every now and then." He tilts his head obviously towards Ryuji. "Too much reliance on a greasy diet causes blemishes and a greater production of natural oils on the skin and face, you know." Ryuji looks at that pointed gaze from Yusuke and bunches his brows together, offended. 

"My face isn't blemished! Just cuz you're all smooth and soft lookin' don't mean you can judge the rest of us unconventionally attractive people like that!" Ryuji pouts. Yusuke tilts his head further in a question.   
"Unconventionally attractive? Is that what you call it? Isn't it easier to just say unattractive?" He doesn't mean it like a burn, but damn does it burn anyways. Ryuji looks honestly a little hurt.   
"I-I'm not unattractive! I mean sure, people like you and Ann don't see it like that because we aren't all pretty like you, but there are people who would find me plenty attractive!"   
"Hey, whoa! Don't drag me into this!" Ann sits up with her hands up in surrender. "I wouldn't say that Ryuji is unattractive! I mean, I don't find him particularly attractive but he isn't ugly." Ryuji accepts her defense, even though it was barely a compliment. A voice chirps up from next to him and Ryuji jumps, nearly jumping out of the booth. 

"I have to agree with Yusuke. Some people just are not as pretty as others." Morgana puts his front paws up on the table to look at everyone. Ryuji looks at him with annoyance.   
"When did you get out of your bag? Can't you just go back in and be irrelevant again?"   
"Oh, I could end you, blondie!" Morgana hisses up at him before Ann quickly tries to save the situation. With Akira... compromised, someone else had to take the roll of mediator. Ryuji glances up to their leader, and those grey eyes are focused on something far beyond the realm of sight. Even dangerously diligent in eating. Yeah, he wasn't going to be helpful. 

"H-hey Mona! I didn't see you slip out! You got something to eat, right?" Ann saves the day, cheerful voice bringing the two back from fighting.   
"Aw, thank you for caring, Lady Ann! But I haven't eaten yet. Akira promised to get me sushi if I waited for your lunch to be over." The cat shoots a disapproving look over to Akira. "I didn't think today would be a challenge day, though. I don't know what he was thinking, honestly. He's going to be too stuffed to hang out until sunset after this." 

"Maybe he wanted to show off?" Ryuji suggests, and the idea seems to be shared by everyone.   
"Yeah, he does kind of like to show off and make himself look cool. Heh, for someone who says he cares so little about what society thinks of him he sure cares about how he looks to them." Ann points out, raising a finger as she spoke. The four agreed that their leader was sort of a fashionista in that regard. Even during battle if one of them were to glance over at him, he might be pulling on his gloves or checking his collar. Ryuji even saw him use his hands to flare his tailcoat behind him as he jumped to use a physical attack once. The table laughed at the recollection of this, but a pair of fists being slammed down on the table and tired panting caused them all to look at their subject of conversation. The plate was empty, and Akira looked exhausted.  
"The victory is mine." He says in a monotone voice. The whole damn restaurant starts clapping for him as the victory bell rings. He was given his reward and he honestly looked proud of himself, almost like there were sparkles or happy music notes coming out of him. When everything calms down and he is presented with the Second Officer Badge, the group of friends sit there in silence unsure what to say at first. 

"So. Uhh. How do you feel?" Ann questions, looking at their calm and collected leader. Akira closes his eyes and folds his hands over his stomach.   
"Braver, smarter, and I think I have a little more dexterity too." He replies, confusing Ann.   
"O...kay..." She purses her lip and thinks for a moment about what else to ask, but Ryuji does the honors for her. 

"So you don't feel like, sick or anything? You're fine?" He leans forward on the table, head turned towards Akira.   
"Yes, I do believe I'm fine. We can head out whenever you're all ready." He responds, eyes still closed and honestly looking like he could fall asleep right there.   
"You sure? That sure seemed like a pretty vicious fight." Ryuji looks him over, and Morgana actually shares his expression of worry. As best as a cat face can match a human face, of course.   
"Yeah, I actually agree with Ryuji here. Last time you tried this challenge you said you were fine but the rest of the night you-" the cat is cut off as Akira picks him up and puts him in the bag, zipping it closed. A muffled "hey!" comes from within. 

"I said I'm fine." Akira continues to blankly argue, not opening his eyes as he leaned his head back.   
"Are you sure, cuz-" Ann starts.   
"I'm fine."   
"It's okay if you need to rest, I mean-" Ryuji tries to add.   
"Stop worrying."   
"We will be walking around a bit more, likely. Would you be able to handle-" Yusuke lifts a casual and relaxed hand up in his explanation, closing his hand in a gentle fist as he was cut off.   
"I said I'll be fine, we can go wherever you want." Akira sits up this time, giving them all the "if you question me again I'm gonna smack the shit outya" look. Maybe that's not exactly what his look was saying, but it's definitely the words that came to Ryuji's mind. 

The team gives in, and they wander around Central Street.   
"Is there any movies playing we could hop into?" Ann curiously looks over at the theatre, but Yusuke sighs dejected.   
"I'm afraid I don't have the yen to get in. I would be able to wait outside if you really wanted, but I would highly prefer we don't do that." Everyone looked at him like he was crazy, even Morgana tilting his head out of his bag.   
"Dude, we wouldn't leave you behind like that!" Ryuji frowned, his words loud and heartfelt.   
"Yeah! Right now, anything we do, we do it as a team!" Ann adds this on, widening her stance and bringing her fists in close to her chest before punching them out in a one-two.  
"Well said, Lady Ann! I agree, it is important to work together both in the other world and this one to strengthen our team bond." Morgana raises a paw and brings it back down a couple times like he was swatting at something. Ryuji thinks it was supposed to be some sort of positive, cheerleading gesture.   
"Yeah, come on. You're our friend as well as a teammate. It is important to strengthen friendships as well." Akira adds, playing with a stray swoop of hair on his head before shoving his hand back in his pocket, the other holding onto the Morgana bag. Ryuji wonders how he still also has books in there. 

They wander around the street aimlessly for a bit and Ryuji steps up next to Akira, bumping his shoulder with his own.   
"Hey, looks like I'm not the only one who's sentimental." He teases, and Akira let's out a quick puff of air from his nose in a sort of laugh, the beginnings of a smile on his face.   
"The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds." Akira responds, leaving it at that.   
"Are you quoting something? Man, you are seriously weird sometimes." Ryuji, with a large smile, shakes his head and slaps a friendly hand on Akira's back. 

Ann hops up to poke her nose between them, standing right behind the two of them.   
"Hey you two, quit bonding without us! Also, how's going to the arcade sound?" Ann's question has the two looking over her first comment.   
"Eh, sure. That place is pretty cool I guess. Never really played around in there with anyone before." Ryuji admits with a shrug, but seems interested.   
"I always thought of the arcade as a place to find Ryuji outside of school." Akira brings a hand up to his chin and tilts his head down thoughtfully. The boy he mentioned rolls his eyes.   
"Okay, so I hang out in there a lot when I'm bored. What of it?" He seems defensive as if someone was challenging him.   
"Relax Ryuji, nobody's judging you for that." Ann comments, waving her hand in a shooshing motion. "I go there a lot too. Or, used to." Ryuji accepts this and lets his guard back down. 

The arcade had bright lights, sounds, and all the works. Yusuke squints.   
"How garish." He comments, looking around critically.   
"Oh my god, is this your first time in the arcade here too?" Ryuji looks like he just found out that Yusuke had a family inheritance that he was sharing with all of them.   
"Yes. I never felt the need to pay money to play games. Besides, I am usually too busy on my work to spend time on such frivolity." Ann looks at the ceiling behind Yusuke and groans over dramatically, but silently. Ryuji, facing Yusuke, sees her behind him and lets out a snort of amusement. The artist then turns around to see what he was laughing at, but Ann is only smiling innocently. 

"Well, now is your chance to try some of the cool shit in here. No work, no painting, just good times with your buddies!" Ryuji honestly looks excited. He had two friends who hadn't really been in this place before, so he could play tour guide. Yusuke looked less pleased, grumbling even as he followed along with Ryuji as he pointed out almost every game machine.   
"No painting..." Yusuke mumbles. "Why would art be a good thing to be without?" 

Ann takes off from the tour to go play one of those "win big jackpot!!" games, having been here already. She admitted she might be saving up for that gigantic stuffed bear prize. The thing was almost as big as her. The others decide not to question her, mainly because Ryuji doesn't care and just keeps going and pointing at things while talking excitably as the other two boys just try to keep up with him. 

It turns out that Yusuke is wicked good at pinball. Even with multiple balls at once, he somehow keeps them from falling for a good long time. First try and he was practically a two thirds away from beating the high score. He seems unimpressed.   
"What? It isn't all that hard. Just watch the ball and hit it when it is the right time. I do find it a rather unfair if it rolls down directly in the middle." He looks at all the flashing lights and colors around him with a seemingly permanent face of distaste. Ryuji shakes his head, figuring he would never get the traditional artist into the scrape theme. 

Ryuji challenges everyone to a ski ball competition after a few more games of pinball. He was positive he could win, since Ann was rolling them too hard and Yusuke was rolling them too carefully, thoughtfully trying to draw out each shot in his mind before taking it. Ryuji was not as surprised as he thought he would be if he lost when Akira swamps them all. 

At the end of the day, they count up all their tickets and Ann can finally trade it in for that ridiculously large bear. The look of joy and victory on her face makes their empty pockets worth it. With the leftover tickets after the bear purchase, they get a bunch of candy to share.   
"Ahh! I've always wanted one of these since I was a little girl!" Ann hops excitedly as she walks with the rest of the group outside. From the front, Ann just looked like a giant bear with pretty legs. She relied on Morgana's guidance to walk, the cat getting out of the bag for once to walk beside and a little in front of her. 

Sadly enough, it was time for them to start parting, splitting up from the place that was close between the correct stations. Akira lets Morgana walk Ann all the way home as long as she promises to return him. When Ann can't hear him, Morgana gives a devious little meow-laugh.   
"I hope she doesn't return me." He says, and Akira places a hand on his chest and leans back as if hurt, his face completely blank. They wave off Yusuke as he heads back towards his dorms, everyone definitely making sure he had enough money to take the subway train back. Morgana flicks his tail in goodbye when he and Ann leave, and Ann unsuccessfully tries to call out her goodbye over her shoulder to them without twisting too much, lest she drop her new best friend. That leaves just Akira and Ryuji, standing there even after the other two are gone. 

"So, you heading home then?" Ryuji asks, pulling the round multicolor lollipop out of his mouth as he turns to Akira. The latter has a thoughtful yet somewhat rebellious smirk on his face.   
"Maybe. Morgana isn't here to keep telling me to go to sleep or keep me in check." The bespectacled boy twists is own lollipop in hand as he thinks further. "I could go anywhere, stay up all night if I wanted." Ryuji nodded at the idea.   
"Yeah, we don't have school tomorrow cuz of some teacher's meeting, so that could totally work." He crunches down on the candy, it crushing easliy under his teeth. "Man, that sounds pretty awesome." Ryuji sighs a little, looking less excited. "My mom doesn't bug me about it much but I don't think she'd like it if I stayed up all night. I can see her asking if I've screwed up my sleep schedule already." He chuckles, shaking his head and tossing the now empty stick in a garbage bin nearby. 

"Well, you could stay with me if you're worried about that." Akira's suggestion has Ryuji looking up with surprise. The black haired boy is looking off to the side, staring at some group of people talking over by the wall and rolling his candy around in his mouth, as could be seen by the stick moving around as well.   
"Like a slumber party?" Ryuji asks, eyebrows raised. Akira looks over at him while chewing on an empty stick now, his own eyebrows raised in a questioning expression.   
"If that's what you want to call it." He shrugs. Ryuji dismisses this with a flap of the arm.   
"Oh, whatever. But like, you're for reals, like, stay the whole night?" He clarifies, still looking a bit stunned but now with much more excitement.   
"As long as you want to, yeah." Akira responds, and it's decided.  
"Aw shit yeah! It's been forever since I spent the night with somebody else. And that wasn't even alone, it was like a bunch of dudes from class so it didn't really count." Ryuji almost looks like he's bouncing as he heads towards the stairs down to the station, waving at Akira to come on as he keeps walking forward. 

Standing back a moment, the black haired boy's mouth twists into a very wide grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dont know if the challenge is active in game until the after school time but this isnt real so. Also spoiler alert: Akira forgot to get Morgana sushi after lunch he is a bad parent.   
> Comments and kudos are so appreciated I cry whenever I see one. Not really but it does make my heart fist pump


	4. A little bit meta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira had invited Ryuji over to stay the night. Plus two points to bravery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter four times. Four. Times. Each time being a different path taken than the last. I had no idea where I wanted to go with this chapter exactly, but here it is. I hope you enjoy?

Sojiro Sakura raises his head as two boys walk through the door to LeBlanc, talking to each other jovially.  
"Ah, welcome back." He says, leaning against the counter tiredly. Akira looks up at the old man, looking cheerful. Sojiro feels himself smile a bit too, despite always trying to keep a distant, authoritative aura around himself. He can't help it, the boy hasn't smiled much, usually looking like he was rather pissed off or troubled. But with his friends, he seemed different, happier. It made the Boss feel a warm sense of understanding, relating to the kid more. 

Akira says that he's going to have his friend Ryuji over for the night, asking if that was okay.  
"As long as you don't get yourselves into trouble or make any trouble for me, I don't mind. Do you want me to brew something up for you?" Sojiro offers politely though he really hopes they don't want anything. He receives his relief as they say thanks but no thanks and head up. "Okay. You two behave yourselves. I'm just about done here so I'll lock up and everything. Don't worry about it." The blonde kid bounds up the stairs first shouting out a thanks, and the barista thinks he sees a very satisfied look on Akira's face before he heads upstairs as well. 

Ryuji looks around the attic once again, used to being up there by now but always interested in looking around to see if anything changed. The shelves near the bed remained empty except for one ramen bowl sitting directly in the middle. His chest alway swelled with a sense of pride when he saw his gift being held with such high regard. 

He glances over as Akira leaves his bag on the table next to the stairs, runs a hand back through his hair, and pulls out a little book. Ryuji thinks he hears the other mumble something to himself before he writes. Then, he puts the book back down and stretches, letting out a little groan. His shirt rides up his stomach a bit as he stretches backwards with his arms up high, and for some reason Ryuji finds himself transfixed. He doesn't look away when Akira relaxes his back and arms again and adjusts his shirt. Ryuji still watches as the other pauses before leaning back on the table behind him, sticking a hip out. When Ryuji looks up at his face, Akira is giving him that look he does whenever he's about to say something weird and flirtatious. 

"What, like what you see?" Akira speaks, and once again Ryuji is right. He never likes what comes out of that mouth after he makes that face.  
"Pff, as if! Quit kidding around." Ryuji ignores the way his face feels like he splashed warm water on it and flops down onto the edge of Akira's bed, legs spread comfortably and one foot bouncing on the floor. "What'd'you wanna do? You got like, video games or anything?" 

Akira finally looks normal again and walks over, shaking his head before messing with the tv.  
"No, I don't." He says, sounding disappointed. "But we can watch tv or something." He finally gets the old box to flicker to life and cheery, infomercial kind of music starts playing. Akira stands up quickly as if surprised. "Oh right, the home shopping channel has the great deal today. Almost missed it." Ryuji thinks he's kidding until Akira pulls out his phone, continuing to stand there patiently. The guest shakes his head slowly in disbelief and walks over. 

"Dude. Are you joshing me right now? You seriously watch this?" Ryuji asks as he steps to the side of Akira, looking at his dead serious expression.  
"Yeah. Every Sunday." He responds, waiting to hear what it is. Ryuji just continues to stare at his friend in further disbelief.  
"I can't believe I'm best friends with a middle aged lady." His comment draws a laugh from Akira before his expression changes to an attentive one, quickly pushing a finger against Ryuji's lips to tell him to shush. 

It turns out the incredible deal is... shoelaces. 300 pairs, to be exact. Akira seems to be considering it.  
"Oh my god, who the hell needs 300 pairs of shoelaces?" Ryuji asks, feeling like he just transported into the dimension where nothing makes sense. Akira starts dialing.  
"I the hell need 300 pairs of shoelaces." He says, putting the phone up to his ear. Ryuji watches in stunned silence as his friend places the order and everything, then turns off the tv, looking satisfied. Akira then looks over at Ryuji and reaches over to push up his chin; the boy had his jaw dropped. 

Ryuji shuts his mouth back up but keeps his same stunned expression otherwise as Akira walks away to sit on the couch.  
"What the hell are you going to do with that many shoelaces? Where do you even get the kind of money to buy that many shoelaces?" Ryuji ends up sitting next to his reclining friend, throwing both arms over the back of the couch. Akira shrugs.  
"I don't know, I guess I'll find out when I get them." He says honestly, and at this point Ryuji can't help but bust out laughing. 

He leans forward and brings his arm down from the back of the seat to wrap around Akira's shoulders. The other one he facepalms with.  
"Oh my god, you can be so ridiculous sometimes. Do you do this shit on purpose just to confuse people or are you seriously just this weird?" He leans back with a few more breathy laughs, shaking Akira around a little in a friendly way with the hand on his shoulder. "I effing love you man, never change." He stops rocking his friend around and just pats the hand on his shoulder. Akira tenses. 

Ryuji breathes out, the laughter having completely relaxed him. He doesn't notice much about his friend until he feels a hand on top of the one he placed on Akira's shoulder. He opens his eyes and looks over, Akira just looks thoughtful, before speaking.  
"Why do you touch me so much?" The sudden question takes Ryuji aback for a moment.  
"Uh, I dunno. I just like to." He starts lifting his hand back up. "I could stop if you wa-" Akira tightens his grip around Ryuji's hand and tugs it back down.  
"No it's fine. I like it." The answer is plain and quick and nearly unemotional yet Ryuji can almost detect a hint of... embarrassment? No, that can't be right. He shakes the thought off and just sits back and relaxes again. Akira returns his hand to his lap after rubbing his thumb over Ryuji's hand a couple times. 

The silence is strange but somehow comfortable at the same time. A distant sound of bells from downstairs signals that Sojiro had left. Ryuji feels soft hair close to his neck before the weight on his shoulder. Akira sighs as he leans into his friend, eyes closed. Ryuji fidgets a little before settling into a little more comfortable position for his shoulder. They sit like that for a little while in continued silence before Akira sits up again, raising his hand to rub the back of his neck. With a glance over, Ryuji notices his troubled expression. 

"What's up?" He starts, turning his body to look more at his friend. Akira's eyes shift to meet him with a strangely dark look in them.  
"What if I was a bad person." He says, and Ryuji's confused "huh?" prompts him to continue. "What if I lied to you. Made up all that stuff about being wrongfully punished. What if I was a real criminal." None of these are said like questions, just flat statements. Ryuji's hand twitches on Akira's shoulder.  
"Why would you do that?" Ryuji asks, sounding a little more nervous than he wanted. Akira turns to face him more and Ryuji withdraws his arm.  
"Because I wanted to get close to you, use you, maybe even hurt you." Ryuji glances down to see Akira's hand tense into a fist.  
"But you didn't." Ryuji looks back up at his friend's face and replies with ease. He glances down again to see the fist relax as Akira blinked in surprise.  
"Huh?"  
"You didn't hurt me." Ryuji repeats, shrugging.  
"I still could." Akira adds, still looking a little taken aback by the response.  
"Then do it." Ryuji states his challenge without fear, almost as if he was challenging him to go do a couple push-ups or something.

Akira shakes his head, the darkness gone from his face and replaced by confusion and a little bit of sadness, maybe.  
"Why would you say that?"  
"Cuz I know you won't." Ryuji closes his eyes and smiles. "I trust you, Akira." 

And then there was silence, for just a moment. A small sniff makes Ryuji open his eyes again. Sitting in front of him is Akira, a fist covering his mouth like he has a bad cough or something, and he looks lost in thought. Ryuji tilts his head in a silent question and Akira lowers his fist and looks at the other calmly.  
"Can I have a hug?" 

Ryuji blinks at his friend in confusion a couple times before grinning.  
"Hell yeah man, you don't even need to ask! Bring it in." Ryuji throws his arms out and Akira just sort of slips into into him, wrapping his long arms around his friend's waist and resting his head on his shoulder. Ryuji claps his hands around his back and tugs him in so roughly that Akira puffs out a pained noise over his shoulder-pillow and Ryuji quickly lessens his grip with an apology. Akira coughs, assuring him that it was fine, before returning to comfortably lean into the hug entirely. 

"Hey can I ask you some'n?" Ryuji tilts his head against the fluffy black hair of the head resting in the crook of his neck and shoulder. The head moves a slightly and Ryuji winces a little when Akira's chin digs into his neck. Akira responds to the question with a "hm?"  
"Why'd you ask for a hug? Like, there's never shame in huggin' but you seemed kind of emotional when asking." Ryuji's question hangs in the air for a few moments before Akira speaks.  
"I was kind of emotional." He responds blankly. Ryuji doesn't accept this as good enough.  
"Awww come on, tell me why. Was it cuz I said I trust you?" There is silence for another little while before Akira just groans in a complaint, like a kid arguing about getting out of bed. "It is, isn't it! Seriously? Why did that get you all 'kinda emotional'?" The continued pestering draws another, louder groan from Akira, but the boy responds this time. 

"It's just nice to hear that you trust me is all. I'm glad to know you've got my back." The words are muffled into Ryuji's shoulder as Akira turns his face to purposefully put his mouth there specifically to make himself harder to hear. It doesn't work too well. Ryuji pats his back a good hearty two times with a grin.  
"Of course! I've got your back, always. And I trust you got mine, right?" The blonde sighs, thinking back to when they first started hanging out. "I mean, there was so many times you coulda left me behind. I'm sure plenty of people probably told you to. But you said F U to everyone else and stayed by me. And even if you did bad things in the past, or even have a hidden desire to do bad things, I'm still always gonna be with you." 

Akira sits up a little, still hovering around Ryuji's shoulder but not leaning on it.  
"I mean, I don't wanna help you do bad things unless it's for a good cause, but I'd stay by your side and try to pull you out of it. Cuz in the end, you're always gonna be my best friend I've ever had, and probably ever will have." Ryuji finished his speech with a nod, turning his head to look over at Akira before he is soon caught in a python tight grip in his friends arms. The force and speed that Akira slams himself back into a hug knocks Ryuji backward, and he is pushed back to be almost laying down if it weren't for the arm of the chair.

"Ahk, god, bro. Ease up on the ribcage there buddy, you're gonna snap me in half." Ryuji complains, and Akira's grip relaxes. It is only a couple seconds later that the black haired boy sits up straight again and fixes his glasses and hair. Ryuji leans up on his elbows, lounging sideways on the sofa more comfortably.  
"Ah, sorry about that. That was probably weird." Akira coughs, clearing his throat. Ryuji laughs jovially in response.  
"Hey don't sweat it man. You're usually pretty weird so it's not all that new." Then Ryuji's face falls, looking more serious. He sits up straighter, leaning towards Akira. "But hey, what was all that about askin' if you were a bad person and stuff?" His tone and attitude is very well meaning, so Akira sighs and agrees to talk about it. 

"Okay, I'm going to preface this with please just hear me out and if I sound crazy just keep listening. Okay. I feel strange sometimes. Like I'm not completely in control of myself, only being fed the illusion of free will while I walk down a predestined path. Summoning Arsene that first time, when I first awakened, I changed. Before I opened my metaphysical eyes, I was scared, angry, and wanting to fight back, but unable to. I felt useless, I thought I would watch you die or get killed myself. And then I was introduced to a new power, and I told that voice in my mind that I don't want to die. Then I changed. I wasn't the slightest bit scared anymore, I was exhilarated, excited, testing out my powers as if it were a simple plaything. Nothing could control me at that time, and I wonder if one day that barrier of control will extend to even myself." 

Akira sighs, having spoken quite a lot in a very short time and speaking oddly fast. He takes another breath.  
"I was testing you. I wondered what you would say if you knew I was dangerous and if you would wish you had never talked to me. I was trying to scare you and that was very uncool, but you took it so well so I... think I feel better now." Akira finally nods, relaxing his body to signal he was finished. He seems tired, unused to saying quite so much at one time. Ryuji thinks for a moment about how to respond in just the right way to all of that. 

"Wow, that was deep."  
Perfect. 

Akira tries to hold back the smile coming to his face, trying to stay serious about this topic, but that response was just so Ryuji that he couldn't help himself. 

"I mean, that's not all I want to say! But. I think I know what you mean. I kinda did whatever I wanted and I got all my track team hurt. I still do whatever I want and you all have to pull me back in. But, the same goes for you." Ryuji leans forward, placing a hand on Akira's shoulder. "If I see you start to distort in the way you're saying, I'll be there to reel you back in. Sorry dude but you're not getting away from me that easily." Ryuji grins teasingly and Akira smiles back fondly.  
"That's good. I really don't want to lose you either." The black haired boy reaches across to put his hand on Ryuji's shoulder just like he had done to Akira. Their arms connect their bodies like a bridge. 

The symbolism was great and all, but it wasn't the most comfortable way to sit, so they scoot closer together and take up the position they were in before this whole emotional conversation started, with Ryuji's arm around Akira's shoulders and Akira's head on Ryuji's shoulder. The silence in the room is soothing as they simply enjoy the quiet and each other, something that is never possible around the others. 

Ryuji is the first to break the silence.  
"Wait, was that what you were talking about with Yusuke earlier?" He speaks like he's just discovered something incredible. Akira nods but Ryuji doesn't get the satisfaction that he was right, instead feeling a little like second best. Why would he tell Yusuke something like that first? It wasn't right. 

"It was part of our conversation." Akira explains. "He had noticed something was off about me and pulled me to the side to get me to talk. For someone who is new to getting to understand people, sure can read them well sometimes. Sometimes not so much, though." Akira chuckles, thinking back to how Yusuke totally didn't pick up on Ann making up that blatant lie about self expression. "But yes, we talked about it a little. I didn't say quite as much as I said to you, but he understood it rather well. He isn't very good at being comforting though, I have to say. But even still, he did understand my concerns about losing control and questioning autonomy. He said he also wondered if his choices were truly his own or if it was all just what was meant and made to happen. That was really all we talked about that was nearly as personal as our conversation." Akira finishes there, and Ryuji feels a strange sense of victory and pride, as well as relief. He knows he might not have been the first person Akira confessed these feelings to, but he knows he was the most important one! Something like that, at least. 

"Are you going to talk to the others about it?" Ryuji asks, turning his head to put his face closer to Akira's hair. It tickles his chin a little and he notices that it smells very nice.  
"I'm not sure." Akira responds, adjusting himself comfortably and moving his head against Ryuji's shoulder. Ryuji is unsure how to feel about calling that movement a "nuzzle" like a cat would do. He pushes the thought aside like so many other thoughts before to focus on his friend instead of what his friend was doing.  
"I think you should. Keeping something like this bottled up could lead to a worse situation like an outburst." Ryuji's advice makes Akira breathe out a dejected sigh.  
"I don't want to threaten or test anyone else like I did to you." Akira responds, and Ryuji can hear the frown in his voice. It breaks his heart, a little. 

With a decisive huff of breathe, Ryuji stands up and claps his hands together once, looking down at the still seated and confused Akira.  
"Okay! That's enough of all that. I ain't gonna let us just sit around and get depressed all night!" Ryuji puts his hands on his hips confidently, and with a small chuckle, Akira leans forward in his seat to pay closer attention.  
"Oh really? And what do you plan to do then?" Akira asks incredulously. Ryuji's confidence falters.  
"Uh. I dunno, I didn't think about it that much. Do you have any suggestions?" The offer to Akira is a mistake, Ryuji can already tell as the boy's face gets that suggestive teasing look on it.  
"Oh, I have plenty of suggestions." Akira's smirk vanishes and he looks completely serious. "Strip." The command comes out just as serious as the boy's expression, and Ryuji nearly falls over. 

"Guh, whaaa?" His eyes are wide in disbelief. "You can't be serious bro, what is it with you?" Ryuji's embarrassed response and accidental voice crack have Akira losing that serious look again, laughing in satisfaction.  
"Ahh, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. It is just always fun to say to people. Especially you." Akira looks fond of the currently very confused friend in front of him. Ryuji had no idea what the hell was wrong with his best friend, sometimes he really did wonder if the guy was all completely there. 

"Man, Akira you're the worst." Ryuji shakes his head in disappointment. Akira only seems to agree.  
"Yeah, you love me though." The bastard leans back in his seat and slings his arms across the back of it confidently. Ryuji could punch him.  
"And you're goddamn lucky I do." The blonde returns to the seat next to Akira with a defeated sigh. There was no winning against him. They just sit there for an awkward minute before Akira sits up straight.  
"I almost forgot." The sudden words draw a curious question from Ryuji.  
"Forgot what?" Ryuji turns his head to look at Akira, who had his hand to his chin thoughtfully. The blonde soon regrets asking.  
"I had promised Yusuke I was going to punish you." Akira looks over at Ryuji, who currently had his jaw dropped.  
"You can't be serious." The stunned teen says.  
"I can't go back on my word." 

Ryuji puts his hand on his forehead and brings it down to pinch the bridge of his nose. He mutters to himself about how is it fair that this is happening to him and what he did to deserve this. He then looks back up to Akira's patient face.  
"What are you gonna do then? Spank me?" Ryuji was being snarky, but then Akira smirks and tilts his head closer.  
"Only I you want me to." He says, and then winks. Winks! Ryuji quickly slaps both hands over his face and slumps so far into the chair that he is barely sitting in it anymore.  
"I cannot effing believe you, man." He mumbles from behind the hands busy at their job of covering his embarrassment. He peeks through his fingers when he hears Akira chuckle lightly.  
"Ryuji, you're going to hurt your back like that." 

The eyes peeking out from between Ryuji's fingers slim down into a glare. But still, the boy sits back up. Akira frowns a little as he doesn't remove the hands though.  
"Ryuji..." he starts, like talking softly to an animal. Ryuji responds with an argumentative groan.  
"Ryuji." His tone is a little firmer this time, though his face still looks gentle. Ryuji covers his eyes again and groans louder.  
"Hey. Ryuji." This time Akira reaches over to pull those hands down himself. Ryuji pulls back against the grip on his wrists, so Akira lets go. The hands snap back into place with a slap and finally Ryuji puts his hands down, but only to glare at his friend. Akira looks pleased. 

"I effing hate you." Ryuji glares and the other meets that gaze with a smug look.  
"You love me." Akira reminds him once again. Ryuji just groans and punches him on the arm.  
"You know, I think you can let go of that punishment thing. Being here is punishment enough." Ryuji takes on a teasing tone.  
"Is it that bad?" Akira tilts his head curiously. "You seemed so excited about it before when I mentioned it." Ryuji rolls his eyes at this.  
"Oh quit playing dumb, you know I'm kidding. I'm still totally hype to spend the night with you." Ryuji flicks his friend's forehead and Akira smiles.  
"Good. I'm looking forward to sleeping with you too."  
"Dude. Phrasing." Ryuji's "so done with your BS" face paired with that light flush he gets every time he's embarrassed always makes Akira smirk, which only makes Ryuji even more done with him. 

The night continues rather easily. The two watch the midnight infomercials and Ryuji makes fun of the stuff they try to sell, and then makes fun of Akira for actually thinking about buying it. The worktable in the corner is pointed out and Akira offers to show Ryuji how he creates lock picks. 

"Is there anything else you can create besides lock picks?" The blonde asks once.  
"Stealthanol stuff or something, supposed to make it harder for shadows to see you. Never really felt much of a need for it yet." Akira sounded kind of proud. 

Around 3am they actually started getting tired. Akira sat up from where the two were laying side by side on the floor to watch the tv and turns off the grainy rerun of some old 80s or 90s show that neither of them knew. It was hard to even understand what they were saying, the quality was so poor. They made up their own ideas of the plot and characters based on what they could hear. After the screen clicked to black and the room returned to silence, Ryuji sits up as well and stretches with a big yawn.  
"Yo, my eyes are gonna kill me if I try'n keep 'em open much longer." He says, leaning his head back to face the ceiling, eyes closed.  
"Yeah, Morgana would kill me if he knew I stayed up this late." Akira agrees and pushes his glasses up his forehead to rub his eyes. Ryuji looks over, breathing out a little laugh.  
"That guy is seriously serious about sleeping." Another yawn makes Ryuji cover his mouth, following it up with a tired groan. "And pretty soon, I will be too. Hey, I'm gonna go take a piss, I'll be back up in a sec." Tactful as ever and gentlemanly put, Ryuji waves a hand back as he descends the stairs quickly. His footsteps down are followed by a short pause and a thud as he jumps off the last four steps. Akira shakes his head with an amused smile and starts getting undressed to put on more comfortable clothes for sleeping. Then, he pauses, seeming to consider something for a moment before shaking his head and continuing. 

After Ryuji was all done washing his hands and everything, he checked himself out in the mirror. Was that bit of hair always sticking up like that? He uses his damp hand to push that back down, then wonders why he was so worried about it. He was going to sleep, and he never cared about his hair much before. What made it suddenly different? He pushes the thought aside, going back up the stairs to the cozy attic. Akira sure can make a good thing out of a shitty situation, Ryuji mentally notes. 

Speaking of his host, Akira was laying in his bed with plain boxers and a t-shirt on, his legs crossed and his hands folded over his stomach. He had taken his glasses off, so when he turns to look at Ryuji step up into the room he squints a little. Ryuji waves lazily at him before flopping down sideways on the small couch. Akira watches him silently as he fidgets around trying to find a comfortable way to lay. Ryuji grunts in quiet frustration as he flips around without success. 

On the mostly more comfortable bed, Akira opens his mouth to speak before closing it again. Then Ryuji whines yet again in a way that was probably supposed to be subtle. Akira picks his pillow up from under his head and throws it across the room at him.  
"You're being more fussy than Yusuke." The blank face of the host is met with the grumpy face of his guest after Ryuji recovers from his surprise.  
"Well I'm sorry to disappoint." The pillow sails across the room a second time and Akira is the one who finds his face assaulted by the fluffy projectile. He looks back at Ryuji somewhat frustrated.  
"I threw it at you for you to use to lay on, make yourself more comfortable." The third time the pillow is thrown across the room, Ryuji catches it.  
"Oh." He replies, looking a little embarrassed. "Thanks, then." 

The two resume getting comfortable after Akira gets up to turn the light off. Goodnights are exchanged and the room falls to silence. That is, until there is much shuffling once again from Ryuj and his voice cuts through the silence.  
"Hey weird question but do you mind if I take my shirt off?"  
"Nah." Akira sounds sleepy.  
"Pants too?"  
"Whatever you want." He sounds very sleepy.  
"Thanks man." Ryuji shuffles around more until he settles back with a comfortable sigh. Akira doesn't respond and the room returns to silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i haven't finished the game yet like this timeplace this story is happening is like right where I am in the game so. Yeah. also I find it really funny that while everyone is laughin at Yusuke for asking Ann to strip for art, but Akira has so many options to say way dirtier things like he can literally tell some drunk stranger to strip I'm. Akira pls  
> Anyway yes I continue to love comments and kudos and don't be shy to talk, comments give me the excite


	5. Monday's? Yeah, Mondays always suck.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sleepover isn't over when you fall asleep. You still have to wake up the next morning and face the new day with new chances to ruin everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3c I enjoyed writing one particular moment in this chapter more than the others, I wonder if it's obvious which one. In any case, the alternative summary of this chapter is "that feel when the gay thoughts catch you and start beating you up"   
> Enjoy.

The morning sunlight slips into the attic room slowly, invading the space shared by two fast asleep boys. One, laying perfectly still and flat on his back wakes up first. Gently, his eyes blink open and take in the first sight of a new day. It looks like the same beginning to every day, wooden beams and wooden ceiling slightly blurred by ailing sight. 

Akira sits up and stretches, feeling an odd emptiness on his legs. Oh that's right, Morgana was with Ann, and not here to curl up on top of him. He reaches for his glasses and slips them on, looking across the room at his sleeping guest. A small smile works its way onto his face. Slipping out of bed, Akira silently steps across the floor to where his friend was still passed out, just standing there for a moment. 

Ryuji was definitely fast asleep, judging by the way his face squished sideways on the pillow with his mouth wide open. He was laying on his stomach, and one arm was hanging off the edge of the seating he slept across. Akira watches his back rise and fall as he breathed, examining his spine and each little bump it made through his skin. Ryuji had indeed slept shirtless, and pantless too. Akira looks downwards and can confirm that even underneath boxer shorts, his friend had a decent ass. Not great, but definitely not terrible. The kind of butt it took a lot of effort not to slap encouragingly after high fiving in a Baton Pass. 

Akira had such an urge to run his finger down the bumps of Ryuji's spine. He didn't really have a particular reason, he just wanted to. The phantom thief keeps his hands to himself though. Instead he takes up the position of phantom voyeur instead. Sure, he knew it was weird to hover about a foot away from your friend while he sleeps, but Akira didn't care too much about weirdness. It was kind of fun to be inappropriate at times. Besides, it's not like anyone was watching him, so who's to judge? 

Then Ryuji moves a bit, letting out a small groan as he pulls his dangling hand up to his face. Akira just freezes in place, too late to run already as his friend blinks his eyes open. 

The first thing Ryuji sees as he stirs slowly to life is legs. He thinks it's legs, at least. He didn't focus too much. Speaking of legs, he pulls his own up until he could push himself into a kneel. Ryuji smacks his lips a little tiredly and notices his face is wet. Looking down at his pillow, his heart sinks to see that he drooled. A lot. He sure hopes Akira doesn't care, or better yet, that he won't notice. Ryuji wipes his face off until he felt decently un-slobbered up and turns to look at where his friend was sleeping. 

Except, he finds that the bed is empty. A quick turn of his head introduces Ryuji to the missing bed tenant. Surprisingly, the still sleepy couch tenant is rather unaffected by this discovery, moving his eyes upward until he meets Akira's blank expression.   
"Mornin'." Ryuji greets casually with a yawn. Then, finally he freezes his arms in place where he stretched them above his head. He glances over at his pillow with the obvious dark spot and then back up at Akira. The other repeats these glances a moment after. He says nothing while Ryuji feels his face grow rather hot. 

"Ah, shit, gross. I'm sorry dude, it just happens! I'll pay for the laundromat to clean it." Ryuji tries to keep up a cool facade but still looks a little panicked, and Akira's stoic face breaks into a little smile.   
"Don't worry about it, its fine. I'm sure I have more money for laundering than you." The standing teenager explains while the sitting one stretches his legs more comfortably to face his friend with his feet on the floor. "Besides, it'll dry within and hour and be forgotten." Akira nods, looking down at Ryuji. His eyes widen a little after a moment and his cheeks start to flush before he looks away, backing up a bit. "Ah." He turns and moves to check on the potted plant across the room. 

Confused, Ryuji looks down at himself to see what could have possibly caught Akira off guard like that and immediately notices. He doesn't understand how he didn't notice before now, otherwise he would have been much more careful about how he sits, and definitely wouldn't have spread his legs like usual. Ryuji slaps his hands over his face and curls up into a ball.   
He had god damn, unfair, worst timing, mother effing morning wood. He could die right now and accept it gratefully, he was so embarrassed. 

"Ohh my god." He groans behind his hands, muffled. "I can't believe you just saw that. I mean I know it's normal and all but still, I wouldn't want to accidentally get a look at anyone else's fricken' tent." He falls onto his side and turns, shoving his face back into the pillow to hide better. 

Then he hears a chuckle over from the other side of the room.   
"I was going to be flustered, but your reaction has me beat." Akira's amused voice makes Ryuji turn his head to look. The guy was covering his mouth with one hand with the other crossed across his chest. Apparently Akira finds his face even more amusing and lightly laughs behind his hand again. Ryuji shoves his face back down into the safe suffocation of the pillow. 

He doesn't hear Akira walk over, so Ryuji nearly jumps out of his skin when a hand places down on the back of his head and ruffles his hair a little. The red faced boy sits up and faces his still amused looking friend with stunned confusion.   
"The hell was that for?" Ryuji's eyes search Akira's face for a reason or explanation. He doesn't have to look long as the answer is given freely.   
"Your face looked cute all red like that, so I got you to sit back up so I could see it again." Akira touches his chin in thought while Ryuji remains speechless with his jaw dropped. "Though I do apologize it was very sudden and surprising for you." 

It's another moment before Ryuji is waving his hands in front of himself and shaking his head.   
"Wait wait no no no no no go back. You, what do you mean my face looked cute? Do I still look cute? Why do you even think that? Are you messing with me right now?" Ryuji's onslaught of questions has Akira raising his eyebrows, but his response comes easily.   
"Yeah, you're cute." He says with assurance before gesturing to the stairs. "Tea with breakfast?"   
"What? Tea with- ugh I seriously do not understand you sometimes, dude." Ryuji groans, accepting this reality. Really, he should be used to this teasing by now, but there's something about it that gets him almost every time. He doesn't know what he'd do if it was actually serious!  
"So, is that a yes to the tea?" Akira walks over to his boxes by the stairs, pulling out some casual clothes to wear. Ryuji sighs and gets up, the total awkwardness on his part was a total boner kill. He is incredibly thankful for that at least, it was usually nearly impossible for him to get rid of quickly without physically dealing with it.   
"Yeah, tea sounds good." He picks his clothes from yesterday up off the floor to get redressed as Akira immediately heads down the stairs when Ryuji begrudgingly agrees to the tea. Then the boy pulls his shirt overhead and quickly remembers an important detail about his preferences. "Oh! Make sure it's sweet, I can't stand the super heavy unsweetened teas!" He calls down, and Akira calls back up with a confirmation. 

When back in his clothes and done dealing with the fact that he probably looks kind of like he's on the walk of shame, Ryuji heads down and immediately turns into the bathroom. He does his business, washes his hands, and once again studies himself in the mirror. His hair is totally a mess, but he cares a lot less this morning. Akira didn't look perfectly composed either so Ryuji felt a little more acceptable. And his clothes didn't look as bad as he thought. Nice. He heads back out into the café and sits down at the bar. 

Akira is busy at work, making himself a coffee and fixing tea for Ryuji while trying to make sure it's sweet enough for him, but not too sweet. Meanwhile, Ryuji leans his head down on his folded arms on the counter, watching his friend work. Akira has a serious and concentrating face on, and the eyes of the boy on the counter follow his movements as if mesmerized.   
"You look pretty cool right now, Akira." Ryuji admits, and Akira's hands stutter while adding another spoonful of sugar to the steaming tea. The sugar sprinkles everywhere and the barista mutters a quiet "shit." Now Ryuji takes his turn to finally tease his friend, wondering how he likes the tables being turned. "Oh well I guess I was mistaken, I almost thought you were good at this." Akira just shoots an annoyed look at his friend before continuing, mumbling that he would clean up the sugar later. 

The tea is passed to Ryuji and he breathes in the steam for a moment. "It really does smell nice, doesn't it?" He says before taking a sip. Ryuji then leans back quickly with a hiss, setting the cup back down on the counter. Akira looked up at him with worry. "Hot hot hot! That was not the smartest move." The poor boy had burned his tongue and lips a little, now scolding himself for being so dumb.   
"You alright?" Akira asks politely as he continues to finish his own cup of coffee before walking around the counter to take the stool next to his friend.   
"Yeah, ah. Burned my mouth a bit there, should pro'lly wait for it to cool down first, huh." Ryuji stuck his tongue out and poked it a couple times, testing if it was numbed or not.   
"Hm, yeah. I should have reminded you to be careful, it's hot." Akira leans forward over top of his coffee cup and blows on it a couple times to try and speed up the cooling. Ryuji leans an elbow on the counter and puts his head in his hand, his forearm holding his head up while he looks over at the other. 

It was a little strange to see him like this. Sure, Akira was always pretty tired looking in the morning but at least he looked sharp when in casual clothes or his uniform. Right now, he simply looked messy, no real other way to put it. His hair was all over the place, not unlike it usually is, but with random and odd parts in it that were sticking out obviously. A whole lot of cowlicks and swoops that went against reason of where they should be. Ryuji unconsciously reaches a hand over and pulls out a knot he sees on the side of Akira's head. Then the head turns, and Ryuji finds his hand up against the side of his neighbor's face. Akira's eyes stared into his own and it almost felt like daggers, the contact making his heart speed up. 

Ryuji lowers his hand slightly, sliding down his friend's face. He threads through wavy loose curls and to his cheek until he ended up cupping the side of his face. Akira leaned forward as he did that, and Ryuji felt like he might have heart palpitations or something. This feeling only increases as their faces get closer together. Hesitantly, Ryuji tries to remove his hand, but quickly finds Akira's over top his own, holding it to his face. He leans back a little but his friend keeps up. Ryuji feels their noses ever so slightly brush against each other. 

Time seemed to stop, all movement seemed to stop. Ryuji never noticed that in the seemingly solid sea of grey, Akira had little tiny flecks of red around his irises. They just stare at each other like that, for who knows how long. It feels painfully intimate, and if Ryuji wasn't weirdly loving every second of it, he would have stuttered out a thank you for the tea and tried to escape out the door. Akira moves a little closer, and their noses definitely touch. "Holy shit." Ryuji thinks, mind numbing his thoughts on everything else but this. "Holy fucking shit he's going to kiss me." The idea doesn't terrify him like usual when something oddly intimate happens between them. Instead he feels almost excited. No, scratch that, really excited. Ryuji closes his eyes, leaning forward just slightly to try and close that final gap himself when- 

There is the sound of a key clicking around in the lock. Both of the boys sitting at the counter freeze all movement. Ryuji doesn't have time to react as fast as Akira does, and when he opens his eyes he immediately finds the space in front of his face and next to his hand empty. Akira had already turned back towards his coffee and was now blowing on it quickly before taking a sip. Ryuji can see the guy shudder, figuring maybe it was too hot still.

The owner of the little café unlocks the door and walks in. He is surprised to find the two sitting at the bar, each with a cup they were staring at intently on the counter.   
"Hm. Shouldn't you be dressed for school?" Sojiro asks, walking around the counter to get started for the day. He hears Akira mumble something about being off school, teacher meetings or something. Whatever. "Okay, but if I hear you skipped and lied to me, we might have to have a talk about your living arrangements." The tone is warning, but Akira barely seems to even be listening. 

Ryuji definitely isn't paying attention as he stares into the depths of his tea, begging to be able to sink fully into it and drown in the heat. He sees a lot of sugar collected at the bottom, he would have to stir it more later. Apparently Akira didn't spend the time to stir it too much.   
Akira.   
Just the thought of that name crossing his mind was enough to make a strange but not unpleasant tingle roll up through his body. He almost got kissed. By Akira. His best friend and the best thing to happen to him in so long. They almost kissed. Ryuji wanted to faint. 

"What's with all this sugar on the counter?" Sojiro's tired and accusing question gets Akira to look up.   
"Ah. I made a mistake and slipped up. I was going to clean it when I was done..." Akira tries to explain, lifting a hand up. He puts his hand back down as Sojiro clicks his tongue in disapproval.   
"You should always try to clean up immediately. Don't want to forget and draw ants." The man sighs, starting to clean up the little mess himself. "I'll take care of it this time, but next time be more careful." Akira nods his head in response with a "yes sir." 

Meanwhile, Ryuji was still lost in his tea. Their words were distant as he spaced out. What would have happened if Sojiro didn't come in, or came in just a few seconds later? He is pretty sure he knew what would have happened, but it was also kind of frightening to think of. Almost kissing was one thing, but actually doing it was different. Bigger. It would change things. Ryuji clenched his fist while he thought, realizing that things probably have already changed. You don't just go back to being completely normal after getting so close as bumping noses and all! A hand on his shoulder startles him, making him jump. 

"Ryuji?" Akira's soft voice meets his ear and he can barely stand it. This was all too much, too sudden. It was overwhelming and barely anything even happened yet. Yet. That word sends another tingle through him. Something else was going to happen with the two of them later on and he knew it. Ryuji isn't sure if he's ready for that. He isn't aware that he's now clenched his fist so hard that his blunt nails dug crescents into his palm. 

He feels two hands on his face and slim fingers slipping behind his ears as his head was forcibly turned. His eyes met transfixing grey once again.   
"Ryuji." Akira's voice is serious, almost stern. However, there is worry in his eyes. Ryuji blinks a couple times and looks away.   
"What?"   
"There's something wrong." His friend tells him, moving his head to try and get him to make eye contact again. Ryuji complies.   
"Is there?" He asks, feigning ignorance. Akira tilts his head down to look at him over the rim of his glasses, his expression clearly saying "seriously? Stop playing dumb." Ryuji wonders if there was that much red in his eyes the last time he looked.   
"How do you know?" The captive of the hands still pressed against either side of his face asks. The interrogator and captor frowns a little, sadly.   
"You haven't said a word or even moved besides your fist shaking with how hard you have your hand shut. It's been over 5 minutes. This isn't like you, Ryuji." This new information has Ryuji looking at his hand, finally feeling how tight his joints felt now. He stretches his fingers out and winces, opening and closing his hand to get it back into normal working order.   
"Ahh, shit." Ryuji breathes out in pain, wiggling his fingers now. Akira looks more unhappy when he returns his gaze to his face. 

"Tell me what's wrong." It isn't a question, Ryuji knows that much. But still, he can avoid it. The rebel reaches up and grabs Akira's hands off his face and pushes them back toward their owner.   
"Mm. Rather not." He says, looking around the empty café. "Not down here in front of...." wait, where is the owner of this fine little establishment?  
"He went out for something. Got a phone call." Akira explains, answering the unspoken question. Then he leans forward, uncomfortably close to Ryuji's ear. The blonde nearly falls out of his chair. "So tell me what's wrong." 

A hand is placed on Akira's chest and his eyes widen a little as he's pushed back.   
"Can we just forget about it?" Ryuji mumbles, sounding honestly uncomfortable. Akira's face falls as he nods, turning away.   
"Yeah. Sure." 

The silence is very uncomfortable this time, and the doorbell ringing scares both of them half to death. Ryuji actually does fall out of his chair this time. The man who entered looks down with a raised eyebrow before walking back around the counter.   
"Why are you two so jumpy? You weren't doing anything you're trying to hide, right?" The suspicious questions come from the formerly absent Sojiro. Ryuji stands up quickly, flashing his hopefully best grin.   
"N-no sir! Just lost in thought is all!" He sits back up into his chair and grabs the now much more cooled tea. Akira nods in agreement with Ryuji.   
"... Very well." Sojiro shrugs, moving some stuff around that Akira had gotten out to fix up their drinks. Then he nods to the boy still wearing his apron and follows it with a nod behind him. "You, help me with things this morning, I'm sure customers are going to be wanting their drinks quickly like usual and I appreciate an extra set of hands." 

Akira nods dutifully and stands up to join his boss. Ryuji stands up too, setting his still untasted drink down.   
"Can I help with something?" He asks, looking a little hopeful. Maybe being busy would get his mind off the feelings rushing through his mind. Sojiro looks him once over and then just coldly responds.   
"No, we can handle it. Thank you." Ryuji shoots a look over to Akira and the other just shrugs uselessly. The reject barista pouts, turning to go upstairs.   
"Right. Yeah, no prob. I should prob'ly be gettin' home soon anyway." He walks up the stairs and into the attic to make sure he isn't missing any of his stuff. 

Sojiro looks down at the Ryuji was sitting.   
"Ah. He didn't finish his tea. Clean that up, will you?" Sojiro turns his back to the boy and the barely even sipped tea. Disappointed, Akira takes it over to the sink, pausing before he would start dumping it. He takes a quick sip and almost spits it out, then dumping the rest without remorse. Perhaps it was a good thing Ryuji didn't drink it, it tasted pretty awful. Like artificial sweetener and hot water, with a hint of leaf. A disgrace to this esteemed establishment. 

Upstairs, Ryuji glances around the room for a sign of any of his stuff. It seemed he still had everything in his pants pocket, so he starts to turn to leave. However, his eyes catch on that one ramen bowl on the shelf. His heart sinks. Once, he asked Akira why it was the only thing there. His friend responded that he didn't have anything else important enough to sit with it yet. Hearing that made him really happy. 

Now, Ryuji feels an odd sense of loss. Akira had been worried and he totally just brushed him off. Akira might have just been leaning forward for any reason and it was just himself and his unexplainable desire that made him want to kiss his friend. Ryuji didn't want to lose him for anything. That moment, looking at what he thought was just a meaningless gift when he gave it over, but Akira held it in such high regard that he displayed it special, Ryuji decides that he can't let anything change. He wasn't going to lose his friend, and he wasn't going to let any feelings of his own get in the way of that. 

Akira looks up from where he was washing the cup out as Ryuji bounds down the stairs. He smiles gently and waves a goodbye as the blonde haired boy calls out a goodbye.   
"See'ya later bro! Maybe we could crash again sometime!" The cheerful departure had Akira feeling better, if only a little. Still, there was a worry in the black haired boy's chest that things were very wrong, and that it was made that way because of his choices. 

Akira sighs and dries off the cup before setting it aside. The door jingles as the first customer comes in and he plasters on his smile, serving each customer until he forgot about the troubling thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two not acknowledging their feelings is so frustrating to me and I'm the one who fricken wrote this why do I torture myself so.   
> Comments and kudos are loved so much! Comments especially I love reading them even if it's just a few words lol


	6. Business as usual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji didn't ever think that he would be attracted to a guy, but then again he never thought he'd turn his life around by fighting monsters in an alternate reality either. Life is just full of fun surprises, ain't it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! I been busy yknow. But I hope you enjoy, a whole lotta stuff happens this chapter I hope I didn't rush it too much ahh  
> Also I hope the bold for texts doesn't look weird, let me know if it's weird or not good or anything

Ryuji laid back in his bed, staring at the ceiling and just thinking about stuff. He had just returned home from Akira's about half an hour ago, and things were still fresh on his mind. The two of them had a pretty good time last night, talked about serious stuff and not so serious stuff, and really just enjoyed each other's company. Ryuji always felt pretty damn great around Akira, like it was where he was meant to be. 

But just a few hours ago it was different. The air grew tense and awkward, all because of one almost moment. Ryuji closes his eyes, grinding his teeth in frustration. That moment, that damn moment, that moment that Ryuji realized that he didn't feel the way he thought he felt. He thought it was platonic, people say they love their friends all the time. He loves Ann but that doesn't mean he wants to kiss her! Well, actually he kind of does, but that's just a weird fantasy of his because admittedly the girl's a knockout. But the point is she's his friend, and he loves her but doesn't want to date her. 

But this... "thing" with Akira was different. That day in the morning, when they were so close together, Ryuji wanted to kiss him. He wanted to kiss Akira, all over his stupid pretty face and on his stupid pretty lips. He realized that all those times he stared at his friend's mouth wasn't just because he was watching and listening to him speak. He realized that the electricity he always felt crackling just beneath his skin when he's close to him isn't from his persona reacting to Akira's or some other lame excuse. No, everything that he had shrugged off as nothing became a something in that inch of space between their lips. 

And now Ryuji has to deal with it. It's not easy admitting that you have a crush on your best friend who is also a guy for obvious reasons. Firstly there's the friend part. It's hard to admit you have more feelings than platonic in any case, but a best friend is more serious, at least to Ryuji. The other part is a little more difficult. Ryuji never thought he was gay or anything. He always liked girls. Sure he could appreciate a good looking guy or something but he never wanted to get pounded in the ass by one. 

Ryuji then winced at his thought process, turning it back on topic instead of thinking about pounding and butts. 

He never wanted to kiss a guy before, and he always was pretty confident in his straightness. And then Akira effing Kurusu comes in and takes Ryuji's comfortable list of turn-ons and starts writing things in. Now he isn't sure what he is anymore. Bisexual, he guesses, but he wasn't really all that attracted to any guy besides Akira, honestly. So maybe he's straight with an exception? 

Ryuji sighs, feeling a little better after thinking about it that way. He can understand that he hasn't changed so drastically, as far as he's aware. But still, he he had this problem with his feelings. Sure he could have them, but it didn't make it any less weird. That almost kiss was practically on his mind the whole way home and, shamefully, he had pressed his lips to his hand as soon as he got into his room, just to somewhat relieve that continuing expectation of contact tingling in his skin. 

Kissing wasn't the only thing though, of course. Ryuji wanted to hold Akira's hand in public, hug him close, snuggle up with him and fall asleep in the safety of his arms, and other things. The other things were a little less easy to think about. 

Sure, yeah, Ryuji is a normal and hormonal teenage boy who hasn't had any relations with anyone other than his hand (and a pitiable body pillow that he no longer acknowledges) so it is expected for him to be, well, horny. But thinking of his best friend while getting off is a big no no for him personally. Yet, here he is, thinking about how much he loves Akira and how much he wants to kiss him and go further with him. Ryuji covers his red face with his hands, despite him being completely alone in his room. This subject matter on his mind was just too embarrassing to be thinking about in narrative form, or at all really. 

Ryuji wishes for a distraction to get his mind unstuck from thinking about Akira's slender yet strong fingers and how good it would feel if he wrapped them around- 

His phone goes off with a PiPiPi! 

Oh thank god. 

Ryuji picks up his phone and opens the group chat gratefully. The conversation begins and he focuses on his responses more than that other stuff. It actually begins to work and he forgets about it for a while. 

**Ann: hey everyone!**

**Ann: Morgana and I were thinking we should go to Mementos today and take care of that one request?**

**Ryuji: what request again?**

**Ann: The one with the girl who keeps beating up her boyfriend.**

**Ryuji: oh yeah**

**Ryuji: yeah we totally gotta take her down!**

**Yusuke: Agreed. There is a line between BDSM and abuse that should not be crossed in a loving relationship.**

**Akira: I'm surprised you know about that, Yusuke.**

**Ann: hey Akira! You're here too, good!**

**Akira: I looked at my phone and saw "BDSM" so I had no choice but to join.**

**Ryuji: really? thats what interested you??**

**Akira: ;)**

**Ryuji: stop that**

**Ann: anyway!!**

**Ann: we should totally meet up and go do that Mementos thing today while we have good energy!**

**Yusuke: The decision ultimately falls upon our leader.**

**Ryuji: ye, whatdya say bro?**

**Akira: we can do it later today. Before it gets too dark so, around 5?**

**Ann: why wait until then?**

**Akira: I have a prior date planned.**

Ryuji nearly drops his phone, reading that. A date?!! When did that happen?! 

**Ryuji: a date???!??**

**Ann: :0**

**Ryuji: WHO IS SHE**

**Ryuji: WHATS HER NAME**

**Yusuke: That is quite the news, I wasn't aware you were dating someone.**

**Ryuji: IS SHE PRETTY?**

**Ryuji: WHY DIDNT YOU TELL ME YOU HAD A GIRL THIS IS IMPORTANT INFO DUDE**

**Ann: wow**

**Ryuji: IS SHE NICE?**

**Ann: that's a lot of caps lock lol**

**Ryuji: I DONT CARE IF SHES A GIRL ILL STILL PUNCH HER IF SHE HURTS YOU**

**Akira: Ryuji, calm down.**

**Ryuji: WHAT IS SHE LIKE, SHE BETTER BE GOOD TO YOU**

**Ryuji: oh sorry man that last one was already fully typed when you sent that**

**Ryuji: sorry for the outburst lol**

**Ryuji: but seriously bro how could you not let me know??**

**Akira: Can everyone just calm down?**

**Ann: Morgana is reading the messages now, he also is incredibly flabbergasted by this new information**

**Yusuke: Nice word choice, Ann. The emotion behind that word is much stronger than "surprised" or "stunned."**

**Ryuji: f u and your big words**

**Akira: seriously can everyone stop sending messages all at the same time?**

A moment passes. 

**Akira: okay good.**

**Akira: I'm hanging out with Mishima for a while, that's all.**

**Ryuji: YOURE DATING MISHIMA?**

**Ann: oh god not again**

**Ryuji: IM CALLING YOU RIGHT NOW**

Ryuji quickly flips out of the messages and calls Akira. The call is rejected a moment later, and a look back in the group chat tells him why. 

**Akira: I'm not going to answer.**

**Ryuji: oops**

**Akira: Let me be clear here. I'm not dating Mishima, I'm just going to hang out with him for a while and grab some lunch.**

**Akira: We planned this earlier so we set a date and today is that date.**

**Ann: omg you could have just said you were hanging out with Mishima from the beginning instead of giving us all fricking heart attacks!**

**Akira: Sorry.**

**Yusuke: So this means we meet at the hideout at 5, correct?**

**Akira: Yeah. See you all then.**

**Yusuke: See you.**

**Ann: yeah! Mona and I will be there!**

**Ryuji: dont be late and leave us waitin bro!**

With Ryuji's last message, the conversation seemed to end. The boy puts his phone back down and sighs. He had gotten so upset over the idea of Akira having a date, and it wasn't just because of jealousy, actually. In fact, it was mostly because Akira didn't tell him earlier. Ryuji thought that if either of them found somebody the other is the first person they would tell. But it was just Mishima the whole time. What a fuss about nothing. 

Then, his phone pipipi's again, and this time it's a message from Ann. A private message, out of the group. That was odd, they never talked one on one. Despite the oddity, or maybe because of it, Ryuji decides to respond. 

**Ann: why were you so text yelling back there?**

**Ryuji: it was surprising**

**Ryuji: you were surprised too**

**Ryuji: whats that word you used?**

**Ryuji: flabaglasted or something right?**

**Ann: ...**

**Ann: close enough.**

**Ryuji: whatever**

**Ann: anyway, yeah I was all jaw dropped too, but you got like full on yelling about it**

**Ann: what was that about?**

**Ryuji: I was just flabigastic and a little mad that he didnt tell me, his best friend, that he had a girl**

**Ann: that is not the word either, but still close enough.**

**Ann: and yeah that makes sense**

**Ann: okay, I guess that's all then**

**Ryuji: ok but why were you asking**

**Ryuji; what were you thinking the reason was?**

**Ann: nothing~!**

**Ryuji: dont you ~! at me**

**Ann: ;p**

**Ryuji: f u**

**Ryuji: i can see that im aint gonna get anything but cryptic shit outa you**

**Ryuji: see you at the hideout at 5 then**

**Ann: alright, seeya!**

**Ann: and sorry for the teasing, you're just so fun to tease!**

**Ryuji: whatever man**

Leaving the conversation at that, Ryuji puts his phone down again. He felt even more troubled now. Did Ann know something? What if she knew how he felt about Akira? It would be like her to figure that out before he himself did, and then be all secretive about it until Ryuji thought about it more and figured it out for himself. She was seriously such a trickster sometimes, even if she is a bad actor. But was she really that perceptive? Or even scarier to think about, what if Akira told her something himself? Ryuji couldn't let himself think about this and torture himself, so he got up and tried to find something to do. 

Time rolled by slowly. Video games didn't hold enough of Ryuji's interest and neither did scrolling through social media. He was totally effed. He glances at the clock. 3:25. Yep, he's effed for sure. Boredom consumes him, and it wasn't like he could text Akira and bug him to hang out. He could text Ann again but he didn't really want to deal with much more of her playing around. Yusuke was not his best option either. He never texted the artist on his own, that would probably just be weird. 

Still, he types the contact name into the New Message bar and stares at the empty space. What would he even say? Ryuji wasn't the type of person to have social anxieties, but there were still some things that were a little awkward even for him. In the end, he closes the screen and puts his phone down. 

Ryuji had reached rock bottom of boredom. He actually got out his papers for the essay he was supposed to write and started looking them over. He must be going crazy. 

"He said I could trash the poem as much as I wanted if I did it right. What the hell is right, though?" He grumbled to himself. "I know he said he'd help me and all with that but..." Ryuji sighed, thinking about his promise of a pay back for the help. He still had no idea what he would do for that. Everyone appreciates money, but that would just be too impersonal. Drawing a picture seemed childish, and he couldn't draw very well anyway. He thought about taking him out somewhere nice, like a date. But he thinks that's too self indulgent and not a real gift. Ryuji ends up giving up on thinking about it for now, reading through the poem a bunch of times and circling things he thought were dumb and writing why he thought they were dumb in the margins. The paper had circles and scribbled words all over it by the time he was tired of looking at it. 

When Ryuji looked at the time, a grin spread across his face. 4:50. Yes! Time flies when you're actually focusing on homework, doesn't it! Proud of his accomplishments and excited for getting to beat shit up in Mementos, Ryuji grabbed his stuff and headed out. 

As usual, Ann and Yusuke were already waiting, Ann leaning on the rail and looking out the window while Yusuke stood against the wall and watched the people as they walked past. Morgana sat on the ground next to Ann's legs. The artist notices Ryuji approaching them and waves at him. 

"Hello! Akira hasn't arrived yet, unsurprisingly." Yusuke greets the blonde as he walks up and Ann turns around, smiling.  
"Hey there Caps Lock!" She teases with a laugh. Yusuke covers his mouth as he lets out a small chuckle at Ryuji's annoyed expression.  
"Oh can we just forget about that already? I'm not gonna start calling you uh. Miss Uh. Miss Annoying Squiggly Line. So don't call me shitty names either!" Ryuji sits down on the floor with a huff, leaning his back against the glass of the railing. Ann giggles.  
"Yeah, that is a pretty terrible name. And I think you mean tilde." Ryuji looks up at her, confused.  
"What're you talkin' about tilled? I'm talkin' about that squiggly line you typed, not some farming thing." She just shakes her head with a laugh before looking back out the window.  
"Oh never mind, you won't get it." 

Ryuji resists the urge to up-skirt her just to wipe that smarmy look off her face. But no, no. He is decent. Besides, he doesn't wallow in his annoyance for long as he sees Yusuke stand up straighter and step away from the wall. Following his gaze, Ryuji sees the one and only Akira Kurusu jogging through the crowd. He rises to his feet as well, uncontrollable grin starting on his face from seeing his friend. He can't help himself, something about him made him happy just looking at him. 

Akira slows up when he gets to them, not even breathing heavily. Ryuji steps behind him slightly and gives his friend a good ole friendly clap on the back, nearly knocking him over. Oops.  
"'Bout time you showed up! So what's the plan?" Ryuji asks, watching Akira fix his glasses after the sudden slap caught him off guard.  
"Ryuji you only just showed up about a minute ago, why are you talking like you've been waiting?" Morgana pipes up from his spot next to Ann, tail flicking calmly.  
"Cuz I HAVE been waiting! I waited sooooo loooong. I did homework to pass the time. Homework!" Ryuji sees Akira raise his eyebrows slightly. "I'm itchin' to kick some ass already so c'mon, what's the plan?" 

No one else seemed to have any witty retorts to that, so Akira started the meeting.  
"We have to change the heart of that dominatrix girl, so lets do that first. But Mishima let me know of another request from someone else today that I think is important to get done as well. Think we can handle two targets?" He asks, and the nods flow throughout the team.  
"Hell yeah we can handle it!" Ryuji grins, punching his fist into his hand.  
"Won't be a problem!" Ann pulls her fist in close to her body in a fist pump, Morgana chirps a "yeah!" from the floor.  
"What is the second target?" Yusuke asks, tilting his head. Akira clears his throat. 

"According to Mishima, the target is the father of the person who sent the request." Akira explains, but Ryuji's face immediately pales at the mention that the target is a father. Why couldn't it just be another boss exploiting workers or a bully picking on kids? Why a father? Why??  
"The requester said his dad started acting different ever since their mother died. He fell into a depression and changed, becoming more violent and quick to anger. The kid wants us to change his heart so that maybe his dad will go back to the way he was." Akira's explanation solums the rest of the group as well as Ryuji.  
"How awful... that's it! We have to take care of this one ASAP!" Ann declares, and Yusuke nods with narrowed eyes.  
"I agree, I do not want this one to wait." He says, fists tight at his sides. Morgana meows, but not in his usual cheerful tone when they're about to go into that other world.  
"It's settled then. We should go as soon as everyone is ready." Akira nods, stepping closer into the group.  
"Alright then. Let's go to Mementos." 

After the swirling red and black stops taking over his vision, Ryuji feels himself standing in much tighter clothes with a mask on. Looking around he confirmed that they had made it into the twisted subconscious subway. The anxious fear he felt in the real word when he heard about their new case changed in the darkness, only his anger and overwhelming need to protect the kid who requested help remaining. 

"Let's get this shitshow on the road." He practically growls, cracking his knuckles as he headed for the escalators even before the leader.  
"Train tracks, more accurately." Morgana pipes up, stretching his little arms and legs now that he was bipedal again. Ryuji rolls his eyes, jumping in place at the top of the entrance impatiently.  
"Come on, Joker, road or train tracks or anything, let's get this show on it!" Ryuji whines, looking at their leader who was pulling his red gloves up to tighten them around his fingers. Without a word, the Phantom Thief walks past Ryuji and the others and heads downward, waving his hand for them to follow. They all get to the tracks, Morgana transforms, and they all get into the Mona-bus. Joker drives like usual, slowly around corners until the area was clear of shadows. It was always a bumpy ride, especially when the leader would floor it into the chained doors to bust them open. 

They descend many floors, barely breaking a sweat against the shadows until they got lower. 

"I can sense the target. She must be on this floor." Morgana notifies them. Joker responds with a nod of the head and a quick hum of confirmation. It didn't take long to find the entrance, but Joker scoured the entire floor for treasure chests as items before heading in. 

"Well, that's gotta be her." Ann commented, looking at their target. Akira ran directly at the darkened figure without hesitation. The shadow spews off a whole bunch of bullshit words while the team bitch her out until she transformed into something they could fight. The battle was tough, but they won and got the treasure. After a few health items, they were all ready to continue. Ryuji felt more relaxed knowing that he actually helped someone with his ass kicking. 

A couple floors further down, Morgana notified them of the presence of the target. Ryuji could feel his palms get sweaty under his gloves. Maybe he wasn't quite so relaxed as he thought. He rubs his hands together and breathes in deeply. Akira only glanced at him before continuing. 

The floor was cleared and the treasures were looted and they found themselves entering into the area with their target. Ryuji felt his muscles tightening. Before them stood a man with glasses, someone who looked kind of respectable if it wasn't for the way his eyes glowed evilly. 

Just like before, Akira ran directly at the target, and Ryuji ran right behind him. It took every ounce of willpower not to keep running past his leader to slam his fist into this shitbag's face. 

"Oh? Who are you. A bunch of kids come to stop me?" The distorted voice came from the man and he laughed. "You know you can't do anything. Children are nothing but trouble."  
"If you really think kids are so worthless, then why'd you have one!" Ryuji yells before anyone else, standing like he would sprint at the shadow any second. 

"Uh, haven't you heard of accidents before?" The Shadow laughed. "Of course you have. You know what you are."  
"That ain't true!" Ryuji bunches his shoulders up a little, glaring with so much anger that his teammates could feel it emanating from him. His words had a hint of pain in them, though. "And even if you didn't mean to have a kid doesn't give you the right to beat 'em up or treat 'em like shit!" 

"That isn't for you to decide." The shadow sounds a little bored. "When you eat an apple you throw out the core." At this, Ryuji doesn't know how to respond, shaking so hard that Akira considers pulling him back. Yusuke steps in to respond for him. 

"What a vile way to think of other people!" The artist's usually calm voice booms with anger. "Your child loves you!" The shadow looks confused for a second.  
"Huh?"  
"Your child loves you. He could have called for help, told someone about what you do to him, but he didn't. He wanted to change your heart, give you the chance to earn that love he feels for you." Yusuke is shaking too now, and Akira is at a loss on what to do. True, strong emotion strengthened your persona, but it also made you irrational. "If you throw that away, then there is nothing in this world shittier than you!" The shadow looks between the two boys yelling at him, almost like he was thinking about what they were saying. But then it goes away and he laughs mockingly. 

"You think I'll listen to your whining? Ugh." The man grins as his image changes into a huge shadow. "Somebody's got some daddy issues. Ahahahaha!" With that last mocking comment and derisive laugh, the battle begins. 

Ryuji doesn't give his leader a chance to give orders, immediately running straight at the enemy before hitting it with his pipe, throwing everything he's got into the blows.  
"Skull! Do not act on your own!" Akira yells at him before summoning his persona to fire at the beast. It distracts it enough for Ryuji to charge in again, not having moved away much at all in the first place. He was barely doing enough damage. 

"Skull! Fall back! You're going to get yourself-!" As Akira yelled at his teammate with honest rage, the shadow swung at the boy who was doing as much damage as a mouse with a stick. Ryuji was thrown back, sliding on his back away from the fight. "Dammit!" Akira spits the word out and turns back to the shadow. He can't let himself get distracted. If Ryuji was knocked out and back away from the battle, at least he wouldn't have to worry about him messing things up anymore. 

The remaining four Phantom Thieves attack with direction from their leader, Morgana giving them boosts while Yusuke and Ann attacked with fire and ice. The shadow was taking a lot of damage, but so was the team. Morgana and Ann could only heal so much, and they would never win this battle if they only kept healing each other just to get knocked down again. 

The shadow swung at them again, this time hitting all of them and knocking them down. It raises its club-like limb slowly, planning to bring it down on them and end them once and for all. And worse yet, they couldn't do anything about it. They were all momentarily stunned, unable to even get up off the floor much less fight back or run. Akira tried getting up anyway, trying to call Arsene to him to shield his teammates. Nothing happened, and Akira started to lose his hope when he heard gunshots. 

Akira turned his head to see Ryuji up again, limping slightly while he continued firing until he ran out of bullets. Akira got to his feet and tried to run, but was too disoriented still and fell as he watched Ryuji summon his persona. The idiot uses a physical attack, dealing a hell of a lot of damage, but hurting himself in the process. The shadow swung at him once more, knocking into Ryuji's body like swatting a fly and throwing him to the other side of the room. He slammed against the wall and fell to the floor with a thud. Akira couldn't see him moving. 

Joker didn't hesitate. It was like suddenly the dizziness from being stunned was gone and replaced with nothing but pure and powerful rage. With a wild and guttural cry, he rushed the shadow, the power coursing through him summoning Arsene to fly behind him. The shadow didn't last two hits. Akira fell to his knees, the solo All-Out attack draining him of his energy. The shadow shifted back into the man, now with a horrified look on his face. 

"Why... what am I doing? How? How could I have let myself become such a monster? My boy, my baby boy, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! How could I-" Akira cuts off the wailing shadow with a glare, red in his eyes and hatred in his gut.  
"Save the sobs for your son, shit head. You have a lot of trauma to make up for." And with that, Akira pushes himself to his feet and leaves the treasure behind for Morgana to get, looking over to where he last saw Ryuji. 

He was sitting up, Ann by his side healing him. His mask was off and blood on his face. When he saw his leader starting to walk towards them, he gives Akira his big, dorky smile and that was it, Akira took off in full sprint at him. Ryuji used Ann to help him stand up. Then, his smile changed into startled fear as Akira didn't slow down. 

Two bodies connect in a tight hug as one slams mercilessly into the other. Ryuji loses his breath for a moment, coughing as Akira holds him. He wraps his arms around the other, too, but that didn't change the fact that he couldn't breathe for 30 seconds after impact. Hell, he wondered if he would be able to breathe at all in this unbreakable grip. His lungs then allow him to fill them with air once again and he laughs breathlessly. 

"Hey man, nice to see you too." Ryuji smiles, the cheeky bastard. Akira lets go of him and grabs his face in between hands to hold his head in place. 

"Don't you EVER do that again." The order is angry yet full of a kinder emotion, reminding Ryuji of the time he climbed onto the roof and nearly fell. His mom yelled at him in the same exact tone. Akira seemed to be looking for an answer, angry and desperate at the same time. Ryuji closes his eyes and smiles. 

"Okay okay, I'm sorry. You gonna put soap in my mouth for bein' bad?" Akira doesn't seem to appreciate this joking answer, eyes glaring. Then Ryuji gets pulled into another crushing hug. The poor boy being squeezed to death looks to the side and sees Ann. His eyes beg for her help but she just shrugs uselessly. 

"If you die because of being stupid like this again, I'll figure out a way to revive you so I can kill you myself." The threat would sound completely serious to anyone else who didn't know Akira, but Ryuji knew that despite the tone his friend was joking a little too.  
"That would be a total waste of time, dude. Just blow up my funeral or some'n." He hears an annoyed sigh as the arms tighten for a moment.  
"Shut up." The voice is quieter, authoritative and annoyed, but quiet. They stay like that for a moment before parting, their hands lingering on the other's body as they locked eyes for just a second before an annoying voice makes them turn to look at the cat. 

"Hey tangle buddies, you done crying yet?" Morgana walks over, holding some sort of shiny thing. Ryuji wants to smack it right out of his hands.  
"Hey shut up, we were havin' a moment!" He shouts instead.  
"You certainly were. It was all very reminiscent of a certain painting. The Surprise by Jean-Antoine Watteau, to be precise. Even Ann was a part of the scene." Yusuke comments, then seems to trail off on his own line of thought. 

"I dunno what you're talkin' about but I sure as hell know I won't like it when I figure it out!" Ryuji crosses his arms. 

"Yeah yeah whatever." Morgana flaps his paw dismissively. "We got the treasure! Now lets get out of here before this area collapses!" The cat hands the treasure over to Akira and turns into their bus. Nobody argues about getting in and leaving. They ride back up into Mementos, traveling the many floors until they reached the top. Akira kept his eyes on the tracks, Ryuji passed out asleep against the window in the shotgun seat, and Ann and Yusuke chat idly in the back seat. It was an easy drive, almost felt like they were fast traveling right to the exit. 

When Akira tiredly walks up the steps into his attic after the long day, he lays back on his bed and Morgana sits beside his head. Together the look up the painting Yusuke mentioned. 

"I'm gonna kill him." Akira deadpanned after looking at the picture presented from the image search. Morgana cackles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recommend looking up the painting Yusuke mentioned because honestly it fits really well, only with less kissing and lute playing.  
> Comments and kudos are so appreciated I love seeing them!! Thank you for reading and sticking with this wow :0


	7. Essay I love you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On rainy days, Akira studies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist a punny title this time. Um,, enjoy? (/0-0)/~*

Ryuji looked out the window as the last few minutes of his last class slowly passed. It was raining today, so Akira was probably going to head up to the library to study. The blonde sighed, wondering if he could convince his friend to hang out with him instead, maybe study together at LeBlanc. He hadn't really seen much of Akira at all since Monday when they all went to Mementos. Tuesday he was doing something with Yusuke, Wednesday he had said he had plans, but got all cagey about what it was when asked. Today was Thursday, and Ryuji wanted to hang out, dammit! 

The bell rings and immediately he whips out his phone, typing out his message in the blink of an eye. 

**Ryuji: hey man you wanna hang out today after school?**

**Ryuji: we could study at your place if you want or whatever really**

Ryuji then puts his phone away, going to wait for Akira near the stairs next to his class. He knew that he wasn't going to get a response. If Akira wanted to hang, he would just walk up to him. Otherwise he would walk past him with an apologetic shake of the head. Ryuji hopes he gets the first option. 

When he sees the door of Akira's classroom slide open, followed by the tired looking boy himself, a grin breaks across his face. He couldn't help it, seriously. Even if Akira didn't want to hang out, Ryuji still just liked looking at his face. 

Akira walked towards him, and then directly past. No shake of the head or anything. Ryuji's smile drops, and he looks around the corner to see him talking to some girl. The newspaper girl, he thinks. It's not uncommon for him to talk to her, ask about different things she's noticed and heard of happening around. It is uncommon for him to not acknowledge Ryuji before doing that, though. Then, Akira spins his head around and shoots a glare at the boy peeking around the corner. Ryuji froze up, petrified by those furious grey eyes, but then relaxed as they immediately lightened up. 

The dark haired boy walked over, shrugging his bag up on his shoulder more comfortably.   
"What was with that look, dude? Thought you were gonna kill me." Ryuji laughs, somewhat nervously. Akira looks a little ashamed, actually, scratching the side of his head.   
"Yeah, sorry about that. I've just been getting the feeling lately that I'm being watched wherever I go around school." Saying this, he leans back to look down the hall again suspiciously. Ryuji puts a hand on his shoulder.   
"Dude stop that, you look like you're paranoid." He then gestures down the stairs. "Lets just ditch this dump then and go somewhere!" He pauses, arm lowering a little. "If you wanna." 

Akira smiles warmly, nodding.   
"Yeah I wanna. Study session in LeBlanc sound good? It's raining so-"   
"You study better when it rains, right?" Ryuji cuts him off and Akira looks a little annoyed, yet amused at the same time.   
"Yeah, exactly. How'd you know that?" He questions, tilting his head to the side. Ryuji rubs the back of his neck with a shrug.   
"I'unno, just most of the time when it rains you go up to the library or something." Akira doesn't hide a big smile for a moment before giving Ryuji a sly look.   
"Didn't know you watched me and where I go after school, Ryuji." He's teasing of course, but still the boy gets flustered.   
"It ain't like that! I just notice it alright?" He talks a bit too loudly and some people in the hall look at the two of them. Akira laughs and puts his hands up and motions his friend to take it down a notch.   
"Alright alright, no need to get all defensive. C'mon, lets get going." 

Ryuji forgot an umbrella today. Luckily, Akira hadn't. Unlucky, they had to walk shoulder to shoulder to stay under it. It wasn't a problem because of the shoulders touching, actually that felt pretty normal. It's just really hard to walk the exact same speed as the person next to you. All the way back to the backstreets, the two would occasionally part and bump back into each other when they stepped differently, or Ryuji would walk a little too slow and feel water drip on his somewhat hunched back. But otherwise, they made it to LeBlanc without difficulties. 

Sojiro greeted them as the two walked in, but Ryuji swears he thinks the barista give him a dirty look when he tells them not to expect a free drink today just because he knows them. The boy figures he maybe just had a bad day. Truthfully, Sojiro was actually still kind of pissy about that wasted tea Ryuji didn't drink three days ago. He had no way of knowing that, though. 

The two set up as usual, sitting across from each other with Morgana on a stool.   
"Why does the cat need his own stool?" The boss asks as they drag it to their table for Morgana to jump up on.   
"It makes him feel tall." Akira responds, and Morgana grumbles at him. Sojiro shakes his head.   
"Besides, didn't I say that the cat shouldn't be down here? At least during open hours." The reminder of the rule had Akira looking a little scared.   
"O-oh right, sorry, I had forgotten abou-" The worried apology is cut off with a waving hand from Sojiro to dismiss it.   
"Don't you keep worrying about that. I was thinking of closing up anyway. Nobody ever comes when it rains. At least it's very rare." The reassurance has everyone at the table feeling better. They didn't want to face the wrath of the Boss. 

Sojiro closes up shop, reminding them to be good and clean up if they make a mess or they'll be in trouble before he walks out and locks the door behind him. And once again, it was just the two of them. And Morgana. 

They study in silence for a while before Ryuji groans in frustration like always. And like always, Akira glances up over the rim of his glasses and responds.   
"Problem?"   
"Yeah. I don't know how to start this. I mean, I think I got the points I want to cover an' shit but actually gettin' down to writing is like, impossible." Ryuji grumbles, looking at his paper as if trying to use the force to make it write itself. Akira gets up and swings around to Ryuji's side of the table and sits right next to him, leaning on his shoulder as he looks at what the other is doing. 

"Hm. Well, wow, you've actually got some good arguments here." Akira actually sounds impressed and Ryuji feels himself fill with pride until he realizes,  
"Wait what do you mean, 'actually?' You didn't expect I'd have good ideas?" Ryuji asks in an accusing tone. Akira smiles awkwardly and shrugs.   
"Well, yeah actually. No offense bro, I know you're smart enough and all, but sometimes you point out some really irrelevant stuff." Akira is being honest, but Ryuji still flicks him on the forehead, the impact probably very softened by all that thick fluffy hair.   
"Oh eff you." Ryuji grumbles, but the subject is dropped after that. 

Akira gives him some good pointers and helps him put his thoughts into grammatically correct sentences. Before they know it, the first draft of this paper is done.   
"Wow, that went faster than I thought! You're a friggin' lifesaver, man!" Ryuji turns to his writing partner, grin wide on his face. Akira breaks out into a rather big smile as well.   
"Oh, I don't know if I was quite that helpful. You came up with a lot of it on your own." Akira responds, and Ryuji wonders if his cheeks are pinkish or if it was just the lighting. Probably just the lighting. Akira rarely blushes, if ever. Yeah.   
"Yeah, but I wouldn't'a been able to write any of it without you. I'd be stuck at the first word still if it was just me." Ryuji tosses an arm around Akira's shoulder and pulls him into a thankful half hug. "I dunno what I'd do without you, man." 

This time, he thinks that Akira might actually be blushing. The other even turns his face away while faking a cough.   
"Hey." Ryuji says, getting Akira to turn and look back at him with a casual questioning hum. His cheeks are definitely redder than they were before. "Oh nothin' really, I just wanted to look at your face." He responds, honestly only grabbing his attention to see if the blush was real or not. It was definitely real, as Ryuji saw it turn a shade deeper.   
"What, is there something on it?" Akira asks, a little hesitantly. It's an unusual tone for the guy. Ryuji shakes his head.   
"Nah, nothing like that. Just wanted to see you is all." He shrugs nonchalantly. "I like lookin' at your face." The words make Akira's face turn an even deeper shade of red, and he chokes, coughing into his hand as he covered his mouth. The usually so calm and collected boy was now definitely flustered. It makes Ryuji belt out a loud, good natured laugh. 

"God, you're so cute when you do shit like that, it ain't fair." He teases, and Akira hesitantly joins in the laughter.   
"Hah, how isn't it fair? You're cute all the time." Akira's rather smooth response knocks Ryuji off his high horse. Now he wonders if he's the one turning darker shades of red at every second.   
"What? Nuh-uh. That can't be right. I ain't cute all the time." Ryuji smiles proudly, sitting up straight. "I can be pretty badass sometimes too." Akira starts laughing at that, and Ryuji joins in too. They calm themselves when Morgana groans and asks them what's so funny. They can't really explain it though, which leads to more chuckling. Morgana gives up and tucks his nose back under his paw comfortably laying down. 

"Hey, Ryuji." Akira's rather serious tone comes out of nowhere, and Ryuji looks at him nervously.   
"Yeah bro?"   
"What have you been up to lately? I was busy the past couple days so I really didn't see you much." Akira looks almost sad or apologetic. Ryuji just feels happy that he's not the only one who missed hanging out.   
"Yeah you sure were busy. I didn't do much though, really. Mostly just video games and shit. Kept my phone nearby in case you decided you wanted to hang suddenly." Ryuji confesses honestly, and he sees Akira's eyebrows rise even under his bangs.   
"Ah, yeah. I was busy, like I already said. But.." he trails off for a moment and Ryuji feels his own heartbeat for a moment as if it was bumping his ribcage. "I did a whole bunch of other shit, but lately the only thing I've been able to think about is you." Akira confesses, twiddling his thumbs. 

Ryuji is stunned, absolutely flabbergasted about this information. (He may have looked up that word online and tried to add it into his vocabulary, it's a fun word even if he can't spell or pronounce it well) Akira had been thinking about him. Not only just that either, he had been only thinking about him. That was- that meant something, right? 

"What're you smiling like that for?" Akira's voice breaks him out of his daze. Ryuji pokes his cheeks curiously.   
"Oh, was I smiling?" He didn't even feel it.   
"Come on, take this seriously. I've been worried about you." Akira clarifies, and Ryuji feels his heart drop to his feet. Oh. He's just been worried. Not freaking infatuated like Ryuji. Now he felt like a weirdo for thinking about Akira so much when the other was just worried about him.   
"Why're you worried?" Ryuji asks, the disappointment unhidden in his voice. Akira looks away and then down.   
"You just seemed off lately, is all. I sense some sort of weird energies around you. Have you been feeling alright?" The boy then brings his eyes back up to meet his friend's, looking concerned.   
"Huh? Hey, man, are you using that special eye thing on me or somethin'?" Ryuji narrows his eyes suspiciously and points at his friend in the same way. Akira laughs.   
"Okay yeah, I am. A little. It doesn't do very much for finding emotions. Just that you're bothered or something." Then the grey eyes take on a more serious look, yet remained warm and comforting. The boy placed his hand on Ryuji's shoulder. "You know you can tell me anything. I'm not going to force it out of you, it doesn't seem like it's really eating up at you but still. Is is there something on your mind?" Akira tilts his head a little, the concern remaining clear on his features. 

Ryuji sighs and decides to answer.  
"Uh, yeah. You got me. I have been kinda thinking..." he starts, hesitating on where to take the answer next. "I was just thinking about that thing I promised you for helping me. I still don't know what I should do." It's a lie, but Akira seems to buy it. Ryuji hates himself for lying but what is he supposed to say? Hey Akira I want to kiss your stupid face until you can't breathe and I'm really kind of freaking out about it? No way! 

"That's what's been bothering you?" Akira asks, looking a little stupefied. When Ryuji nods, the other lets out a little laugh. "You shouldn't be so worried about it, man. It doesn't have to be anything big and flashy, it's just enough knowing that it's from you." These words draw a big smile across Ryuji's face.   
"Ugh, you're such a sap. C'mere." He opens his arms for a hug and Akira falls into them thankfully, tightening his arms around his friend's waist while the other placed one hand on his back and the other tangled in his hair. "You're lucky I'm such a damn sap too or else you'd just be really embarrassed right now instead of hugging an awesome dude." He feels Akira's little laugh through his chest where they were pressed together.   
"But I'm not hugging myself, I'm hugging you." He says, and Ryuji doesn't have to see his face to know that Akira is looking like a total teasing asshat currently. 

"Oh eff you, I'm totally awesome!" Ryuji laughs back, but tugs a bit on Akira's hair as paybacks just for that comment. He elects to ignore the gasp that escaped his friend's mouth right near his ear, and the fact that his head moved without any resistance when his hair was pulled. 

He releases his hold on the fluffy hair and Akira puts his head back into place comfortably on his shoulder. They sit like that for a few more moments before parting again.   
"Hey, it's not even late yet!" Ryuji looks at the time and sees that it was only just passing into evening. "I could stay and chill for a while longer if you wanna?" The blonde tilts his head and taps his finger against his knee a little anxiously. Akira shrugs.   
"Sure, if you want to. Honestly you can stay as long as you want." He responds, stretching his arms back.   
"Well you wanna do something then? Something fun, no more homework."   
"What kind of something?" Akira lowers his arms and looks curiously at his friend. Ryuji shrugs.   
"I dunno actually, I just wanna do somethin'." 

Akira taps his chin thoughtfully, humming.   
"I wish I had more interesting things to do around here." He confesses, looking a little bummed out. A hand pats his shoulder, shaking him back and forth in a friendly gesture.   
"It's fine bro, you don't need to have all the coolest shit around. Just being by your side is enough." Ryuji closes his eyes and flashes his big grin. He thinks he hears a soft happy sigh from Akira, but he was probably mistaken. 

"Now who's the sap, huh?" The other teases, getting Ryuji to open his eyes again by flicking him on the nose.   
"Oh shuddup, you like it." The blonde retorts, rubbing his nose after it was flicked.   
"Never said I didn't like it." Akira laughs a little, then leans back in his seat and looks at the window with a sigh. "Too bad it's raining. We coulda gone out somewhere." 

Ryuji shrugs, leaning over to look out the window too, pressing much of his weight on Akira's shoulder.   
"We could still go out if we don't give a shit 'bout gettin' wet." He points out, tilting his head until it bumps against the other's.   
"But I kind of give a shit about getting wet." Akira leans his head over too, resting a little on top of his friend's.   
"Yeah. I kinda need to pee staring at all that rain, man." Ryuji sits up, but as Akira tries to move out of the booth to let him pass, Ryuji is already attempting to crawl across his lap.   
"Uh." Akira just sits back, trying to sink into the booth seat as much as possible with his hands raised as if in surrender to keep them out of the way. Ryuji has a little peek of his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrates on getting past. Akira just holds his breath and looks at the ceiling, praying that the idiot halfway across his lap doesn't knee him in the crotch. Even Morgana peeks an eye open to watch the endeavor. 

Ryuji succeeds in getting out of the booth, and Akira succeeds in not dying. The bathroom door shuts and the poor guy still sitting at the table falls forward onto his folded arms.   
"I do not understand what you see in him." Morgana mutters.   
"You know, sometimes I'm not sure myself." Akira responds, groaning into the table. It takes a couple more moments before he sits up, looking in confusion at the cat. "Wait, I didn't tell you about-" 

The door to the bathroom opens again and Akira promptly shuts up. Morgana looks at him with a smug expression before closing his eyes again. Ryuji flops back down into the booth next to his friend and throws an arm over the back of it with a sigh.   
"That's better." The content blonde looks over at his somewhat stiff looking friend. "I been meaning to ask, what were you up to exactly yesterday? You never really answered." 

Akira swallowed, then relaxed himself and looked over as well.   
"I didn't? Huh." He pauses and Ryuji raises his eyebrows, still waiting for an answer. "Morgana punished me for forgetting to get him sushi when I promised. We were out all night while he stuffed himself and emptied my wallet." He admitted, looking down. Just as he expected, Ryuji laughs.   
"Dude! Forreal? That cat has you whipped, man!" He keeps laughing as Morgana pipes up tiredly too.   
"Oh you bet I do." The cat comments, peeking an eye open to look at the boy laughing his ass off next to the boy who seemed to be questioning his life choices. 

"Dude, god forbid you get a girlfriend who's any kind of dominant. You might get actually whipped." Ryuji laughs, meant to be teasing. He didn't expect the edge it gave Akira over the situation as the guy sat up and looked at him with a smirk.   
"I dunno, that sounds kinda fun." He winks behind his glasses and Ryuji can feel his face heat up. Morgana muffles his catlike laughter under his paws.   
"Fuh- dude!" He covers his face, shaking his head while Akira chuckles lightly. "You are seriously the worst sometimes!" He feels a gentle hand pat his head.   
"Yeah, but you're the one who likes hanging out with me." He has a teasing smirk on his face still when Ryuji looked at him past his hands. 

"You're right about that, god damn you." He responds, moving his hands away from his face before wrapping his arm around Akira to put him in a headlock, ruffling his fist in his hair. His captive struggles for a moment before giving up, just sitting there and accepting the arm around his neck. Ryuji lets him go after a moment, watching as Akira halfheartedly fixes his messy hair. Then he pauses, grey eyes looking up over the rim of his glasses to stare back at the brown eyes watching him, a silent question in that grey. 

Ryuji tilts his head as he looks back and Akira sits up.   
"Actually, why do you want to stick around with me?" The question is honestly serious, and Ryuji looks at him likes he's dumb.   
"Uh, are you stupid? You're the effin' best, man. You saved my freaking life, you didn't try to push me away to get other people to like you, you actually know me. The real me. And you still like me. When I stop wanting to spend all my time with you is when you should be wondering about me, dumbass." Ryuji gives Akira a good-natured punch on the arm, not hard at all. The other smiles, shaking away the doubt in his mind. He speaks without thinking, something he hardly ever does. 

"I love you, Ryuji." Akira's words are from the heart, and the recipient can tell. Ryuji feels his heart beat what must be a billion times faster. Honestly, he hopes he doesn't pass out. He doesn't know how to respond, exactly. It sure sounded like a fool in love speaking, but it could just be in a friend way. Ryuji plays it safe, putting a hand on Akira's shoulder and squeezing gently.   
"Hey, I love you too, man." It felt too intimate to say his name, Ryuji just couldn't bring himself to do that. In fact, even though he made sure to say it in the most nonchalant way possible, he still feels like he was being too obvious. He pats Akira on the shoulder before standing up, missing the sudden sadness on his friend's face as soon as he turns around. 

Ryuji stretches with a yawn, still not looking back.   
"I think I better be heading out, actually." He says, looking towards the door. Behind him, Akira looks a little less sad, and more like he was pissed off. As soon as Ryuji turns around though, Akira has a friendly smile on his face.   
"Oh, yeah. Sure. Stay safe on your way home." He says, voice a little too high pitched and happy sounding as he scoots out of the booth. This time, before Ryuji leaves, they embrace in a quick hug. It goes too fast. 

Ryuji walks out into the rain while Akira stands by the door grinding his teeth and watching him leave. When he's finally out of sight, the boy pulls off his glasses and throws them down on the booth, thankfully not breaking them, before shoving the heels of his hands into his eyes with a frustrated grunt. Morgana sits up and flicks his tail with worry.   
"You need to sort this out, Akira. It isn't good for you to keep going like this." The cat's ears were down a little, definitely sad looking. Akira doesn't look though, snatching his glasses back up off the seat before walking upstairs in silence. Morgana sighs, jumping down from the chair to follow him up. 

"Ryuji, you're soaking wet! You didn't bring an umbrella to school?" Ryuji's mom looks up at him from her chair as he walks in, taking his shoes off to go straight to his room. "Hey, Ryuji, you're going to drip all over the floor! Let me get you a towel or som-"   
"It's alright, mom." The boy looks at his mother with a grin. "It's just water, don't worry about it. I'm going to bed. Love you, g'night." He quickly finished speaking before getting into his room. After he strips all his wet clothes off, he flops face first into his bed. Everything went fine, he thought. So why did he feel so empty? Ryuji doesn't bother getting dressed again or drying his hair, falling asleep with a wet head and pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise, I tricked you. This fic was always about Akira's transformation into sonic the edgehog. But jk, poor dude, he's so hurting,, ;n;   
> Comments give me life and kudos do as well but yeah I'll admit to liking comments better whatever. Still appreciate kudos tho love em!


	8. Normality vs Abnormality and the question of which is reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With no target and no requests, the Phantom Thieves can only live their normal lives. Well, as normal as normal can get for these wacky kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhm... lets just forget that the field trip to the tv station and Akechi Goro haven't happened. It's irrelevant to my plot so I forgot all about it so uh yeah just ignore that part, I've swept that all under the rug. Tv interview I see no tv interview and the only detective prince I know of is Naoto.   
> Anyway, enjoy this? Even though it doesn't line up well at all with canon? Yeah? (/;.;\\)

Everything is normal. Ryuji goes to school, hangs out with Akira or doesn't, goes to Mementos or doesn't, dispels some feelings by transferring them into the fist he puts in the shadows' faces or doesn't. He likes the days where he does do these things over the days where he does nothing. But even those days, everything is normal. Painfully, achingly, annoyingly normal. 

Nothing happens, really. There's no leads for a target yet and people were still mostly skeptics of the Phantom Thieves. It honestly felt like a personal attack when they posted negative comments. Why can't they just see that the Thieves are awesome? Ryuji doesn't look at the comments very much. 

He started noticing a weird feeling whenever he was in school now too, like Akira had mentioned some time ago. It felt like someone was watching him, but nobody around seemed particularly suspicious. Ryuji ended up shrugging it off and carrying on his normal business, figuring if someone wanted to watch him wander around school or wait in the hall so bad, so be it. 

Time goes on. Akira had been hanging out with him less, doing other things instead. Ryuji wanted to know what those things were. Akira only told him occasionally what he was doing, but was really pretty cagey about some other things. It was frustrating, to say the least. Not to mention depressing. It honestly hurt, knowing that his friend was up to something and leaving him out of it. After school one day, as soon as Akira leaves his classroom, Ryuji corners him. The look of surprise on his face as he opens the door to see Ryuji standing there was kind of funny, but this was about business. 

"Hey." The blonde starts, trying not to look threatening but probably failing. Definitely failing, his eyes were glaring, but Akira isn't threatened.   
"Hey?" The other responds, tilting his head in the question. Ryuji just reaches over and grabs his hand, pulling him down the hall towards the emergency exit where nobody else was. Akira followed without trepidation. When he has the fearless leader actually cornered, Ryuji begins. 

"What have you been up to lately?" He crosses his arms, leaning mostly on his good leg. Akira looks a little confused.   
"Huh?"   
"What have you been doing? Like sure, I get that you've got stuff to do and are busy. I get that. But you don't gotta be all secretive about it! If you're up to some'n so bad that you can't even tell your best friend about it, you pro'lly shouldn't be doin' it, bro." His voice is stern, but then he drops his gaze to the pattern of the other's uniform pants. "Unless you don't think about me that way." He adds, frowning. His expression turns to one of surprise when Akira grabs his face and brings it up close to his, forcing the eye contact.   
"Hey. Of course you're my best friend. Don't even begin to think otherwise." Now Akira was the one sounding stern. 

Ryuji felt relief flow through him, until he tensed up and quickly pulled his friend's hands off his face, turning away with a cough.   
"D-dude! Don't grab me in public like that, 'specially in the corner! People might think we're like, kissin' or some'n." He diverts his eyes, but he can practically just feel the moment when Akira puts on that flirty freaking face again. He also feels his breath right up against his ear when the smartass leans in close to it.   
"What's so wrong with that?" The almost whispered voice sends a shiver down Ryuji's spine, face heating up immediately. When he actually feels the side of Akira's lip brush against his earlobe, he jumps away with a little undignified yelp, putting his arms up in defense as if he was going to karate chop his opponent.   
"You damn well know there's PLENTY wrong with that!" His voice is loud as always, and the embarrassed tone with the small crack in his voice actually draws more attention to them than when they were just talking. Akira laughs just a little, waving his hand for Ryuji to calm down. 

"Okay okay, I'm just teasing. No need to get so worked up." He leans back against the wall in the corner, looking pretty comfortable while Ryuji looks the complete opposite of comfortable, grumbling quietly.   
"How'm I not s'posed to get all worked up when you frickin' talk all sexy in my ear like that, you freakin' creep." His words were quiet indeed, but Akira raises an eyebrow as he hears them anyway.   
"You thought that was sexy? I'm flattered." He comments, smirk growing on his face while the color grows on Ryuji's.   
"Oh, shuddup! This ain't what I pulled you over here for!" The now tomato-faced boy stomps his foot on the ground in annoyance. Akira smiles and puts his hands up in defeat.   
"Okay, I'm sorry. I won't interrupt. What do you want?" 

Ryuji sighs, finally getting back on track with his original plan, but he didn't look very threatening with all that blush over his face. Besides, that whole conversation, while embarrassing as hell, loosened him up a bit and left him feeling less pissy.   
"Okay. I just wanted to know what you've been up to. You rarely respond to my texts, almost never answer when I ask what you're up to, and are very vague if you do answer. It's like I ain't important enough for you to talk to." He frowns, poking the ground with his toe.   
"Hey, of course you're important for me to talk to. I love talking to you, Ryuji. Where are all these insecurities coming from? Asking me if I think of you as my best friend and wondering if you're important to me." Akira puts a hand on Ryuji's shoulder and rubs his thumb across the front of his shirt.   
"Where are they coming from? Really?" Ryuji looks a little pissed once again, his tone bringing that across clearly. "I'm only insecure because of you. Are you avoiding me? Why?" 

Akira's eyes widen as he listens, his face falling.   
"I- I'm sorry. I hadn't thought about it like that, I wasn't avoiding you." He shakes his head slowly, looking apologetic. The look is enough for Ryuji, and he sighs.   
"I know. Just made me feel all shitty when you wouldn't respond an' stuff." He rubs the back of his neck, still looking kind of down. Akira shuffles a moment before speaking. 

"I've been seeing a doctor." He starts, and Ryuji looks up with wide eyes.   
"A what? Akira, are you sick or something? Are you okay?" His worry was actually comforting to Akira, and he shakes his head with a smile.   
"No, no sorry. I probably shouldn't have worded it that way. I've been... helping with a doctor." His pause to think about what he would call his agreement with Takemi had Ryuji a little more worried.   
"What... what kind of help?" He narrows his eyes and Akira looks just a little more uncomfortable.   
"Uhh." He looks away to the side, smiling awkwardly.   
"Akira." Ryuji takes on a stern tone and the other sighs.   
"I've been helping her with uh. Testing new medication." Akira finally admits and his friend looks kind of stunned, yet still rather worried.   
"What? Is that safe?"   
"Honestly? It's probably not safe." Akira responds with a laugh. Ryuji just looks more horrified.   
"Dude! That's not cool, what if it's bad or somethin'? What if you get hurt?"   
"I'm not going to get hurt." The lie was blatant, and the concerned friend did not appreciate that.   
"Don't you eff with me, Akira. I bet you've already gotten hurt and haven't said anything." Ryuji leans forward more into his friend's personal space.   
"Ah... hah hah. Yeah, but I only just passed out a couple times, got a bad headache and threw up sometimes but it's really not too bad." The reasoning isn't valid for Ryuji, and he flicks Akira on the nose.   
"Bad! That stuff is bad! What if it's like, messing up your insides?" 

Akira rubs his nose where he was flicked, frowning.  
"It's fine, it's fine. It's a fair tradeoff so I do it. Where do you think I get all those health items?" He crosses his arms and tilts his chin up as if he thinks he already won the argument. Ryuji looks at him like he's a dumbass.   
"What? No, not fair tradeoff! Getting free medicine ain't worth riskin' your body like that! What if you have like, liver failure or somethin'?"   
"Actually, I don't get the medicine for free, she just lets me buy the stronger stuff as she trusts me more." Akira shrugs, no longer looking confident. He closes his eyes with a grimace as Ryuji blows up.   
"YOU MEAN YOU DON'T EVEN GET FREE SHIT??" His naturally big voice echoes down the hall especially loud when he was yelling. Ann exits the classroom now, looking at the two of them with a glare before stomping over.   
"I knew that was your voice! What the hell are you yelling about?" She juts a hip out and puts her fist down on it.   
"Ryuji-" Akira tries to stop him, but it's too late.   
"Akira's been taking suspicious meds from a crazy doctor lady and she ain't even giving him nothing for free!" He yells, not quite as loud, but still a yell.   
"Oh, for fucks-" the boy in the corner mutters to himself and covers his face as Ann now joins in on the yelling.   
"He WHAT?! Akira! What if you get a liver failure? You can't fight shadows with no liver!" She waves her arms, her voice echoing through the hall too. People were definitely looking at them now. 

Akira tries to quiet them down, pleadingly putting his hands out.   
"Not so loud, please? Jesus, it's not that bad!"   
"NOT THAT BAD?" The two of them now yell in unison. Akira wishes he could sink further into the corner.   
"Morgana knows about this and lets you do it?" Ann asks incredulously.   
"Yeah, he knows I go to the doctor and do something there but I get good health items so-"   
"I'm gonna punt that punk-ass cat! Letting you do this shit." Ryuji punches the palm of his hand, fight in his eyes. He looks at the bag on Akira's shoulder, but doesn't see it move. The punk-ass cat must not have come to school today. Probably a good thing.   
"Guys, god damn! Calm down! Ugh, this is why I didn't want to tell you. Just don't tell Yu-"   
"I'm calling Yusuke. See what he thinks about this." Ann pulls her phone out and begins to dial before Akira yanks it out of her hands.   
"No! No. Both of you, stop. Look, ugh, I can take you to go meet her so you can see that it's fine?" He offers, hoping that will get them to shut up. It does, for the moment, but it soon becomes obvious that it was a bad idea. 

"Wow, this place is uh. Hidden." Ann steps closer to the other two boys, looking around nervously. Ryuji keeps his eyes in suspicious slits.   
"This smells illegal, man." He says as they walk up to the door.   
"She has a medical license. It's fine." Akira tries to comfort them as they walk into the small clinic. The tired looking woman looks up from her magazine. 

"Oh. Hey. You here to buy something or try a..." she trails off as she sees the other two behind him. "What's this?" She asks, gesturing to the teens that looked like they were overacting an investigation show. Akira tries not to look embarrassed by this.   
"They're uh, my friends. They're worried that this is illegal so I brought them here to show them it's legit." Akira smiles nervously, a plea in his eyes for her to ease their fears. Takemi doesn't deliver.   
"Well I wouldn't say it's illegal. Legally grey, maybe." She sighs, leaning back and tucking her hair behind her ear. "I am a real doctor though." 

Ryuji is the first to point his finger at her. She looks bored.   
"He told us everything already! We know you test your shady experiments on him! Admit it!" He glares and waits for her response.   
"Yeah. He signed a contract." She says matter of factly. Ryuji looks stunned that she just admits to it like that. She seems a little amused by his surprise. "What, did you think I'd try to lie? He already told you, lying would be pointless. Now, if you're not here for a checkup or to assist me, I've got some work to get to." She examines her nails with a sigh. 

The three of them leave after that, not quite sure what to say to her. They speak again when outside.   
"Akira, I don't like this. She doesn't seem um.." Ann trails off, not sure how to put it. Ryuji finishes it for her.   
"She doesn't seem sane, man! She straight up told us this business is shady, didn't even try'n hide it! I can't keep letting' you go back there and let her do stuff to you. It's-" he thinks for a moment, imagining being taken to the examination room by a pretty doctor and getting a very personal kind of check up. Not a bad train of thought, actually... 

Then he imagines that happening to Akira and gets mad again.   
"It's just not right! You gotta stop letting her take advantage of you and get you all drugged and weak." The other boy raises an eyebrow.   
"What exactly do you think we do in there, Ryuji?"   
"I dunno! Stuff! Weird medical shit! I don't approve!" He seems flustered, and it's quite obvious.   
"Are you jealous, Ryuji?" Ann covers her smile with one hand, snickering.   
"She does have nice legs." Akira admits, knowing the comment would only make the situation worse. Sometimes a man just wants to watch the world burn. Or in this case, his friend's face burn. 

"Okay can we shut up about this now? My mind is goin' places I don't think I wanna go to." Ryuji groans, looking at the two of them desperately. His terrible friends laugh, but then they all settle the feud by going to LeBlanc for some coffee and tea. They chill out in Akira's room until the evening before both Ann and Ryuji head home around the same time. The doctor is forgotten about, and once again, everything returns to boring normality. 

A while passes with nothing really happening. Akira got better about texting back, but Ryuji still felt like something was off about it. He really only felt like their relationship was fine when they were in person, but sometimes even then he had doubts. He was honestly kind of terrified, thinking that he might be drifting away from the one person in his life that he could actually say anything to. 

Ryuji frowns at this thought, sinking into his bed one night. The one person he could say anything to. Anything... besides how he really felt. Well. Whatever, he figures that if he could suppress that better, then maybe they would be close again, like before he ever had this damn crush. 

Akira figured out that someone actually was stalking them. Makoto Nijima, student council president was following them. According to Akira, she wasn't exactly doing a very good job of it either. He would see her hanging around in areas that he was in, just "coincidentally." Ryuji's favorite account was when Akira said he found her pacing the hall outside of his classroom while reading, and she told him she was busy when he approached her. The girl totally sucked at spying. 

At least, that's what he thought. 

Akira brought her to their Phantom Thieves meeting one day, looking unusually ashamed. She held up a tape recorder and Ryuji could hear his own voice, clearly saying that they were the Phantom Thieves. He wanted to die right there, hearing that. He honestly felt relieved when Ann's voice was on it too, so at least he wasn't the only one who screwed up big time. 

One thing good came out of it, though. They got a new target. But life jumped from boring to panic real quick, and Ryuji wasn't quite sure this is what he wanted when he wished things would get more interesting. He didn't know it would get even more interesting to come. 

Smart student council president Makoto got herself kidnapped. Willingly, but kidnapped nonetheless. The group couldn't let their target, the head of a crime ring Kaneshiro, do whatever he wanted to her. Things went downhill. Incriminating photos, blackmail, 300,000¥. It was worse than getting expelled or getting sued. At least, it felt worse. 

Hope started to rise again when Makoto became their key into Kaneshiro's palace. Ryuji was kind of jealous at how easily she picked everything up, though. He still didn't understand some of the things she did. It wasn't fair. 

It also wasn't fair when she woke her persona. Ryuji had thought that he would never fall in love with anyone other than Akira. But then she came along. So sleek, so strong, so tough. His Queen. 

Oh, and Makoto looked pretty cool in her new outfit too. 

Yes, he had totally fallen for her persona. God damn, it was a freaking motorcycle. A motorcycle! How cool is a freaking motorcycle as a persona? And she could ride it! Way cool. Sure he loved Captain Kidd and all, but come on. It's a motorcycle. 

Perhaps he was being a bit dramatic. No, he was definitely being a lot dramatic. He wondered if he could sorta just. Borrow her persona. Just for a while. Ride down the highway with the wind in his hair and Akira's arms around his waist as he sat behind him. 

Another discovery Ryuji made that day in the entrance of the palace was that he was a total little bitch to a commanding tone. Something Akira has made sure to tease him ruthlessly about since. At least Morgana couldn't tease too, since he was totally the same. 

Life became interesting again, and he was actually excited. Worried as hell that they could fail and have their lives ruined or be killed, but excited. They had a goal, a proper palace to infiltrate. It would go fine if they would just keep their heads and not let anything distract them. 

Ryuji looks at his phone when it PiPiPi's obnoxiously. Probably the group chat, someone asking if we're going to the palace today, he thinks. He is surprised to find it is a private message. From Makoto. He had a bad feeling about this. 

**Makoto: Do you have a moment?**

**Makoto: There is something I believe I should tell you.**

Oh shit, this definitely can't be good. 

**Ryuji: hey prez im free**

**Ryuji: wassup?**

**Makoto: You know I told you that using my first name is fine.**

**Ryuji: oh yeah i know**

**Ryuji: just feels a bit weird sayin it so soon yknow?**

**Makoto: Right. I mean it's not like it's almost been an entire week.**

**Ryuji: haha yeah exactly!**

**Makoto: ...**

**Makoto: Anyway. I wanted to say something to you.**

**Makoto: Take this to mean whatever you want it to. I just hope it helps ease some thoughts of yours.**

**Ryuji: haha what?**

**Makoto: I wanted to tell you not to hold back.**

**Ryuji: uh?**

**Makoto: I myself had hidden myself and my feelings for so long that I ended up torturing myself with my need to be what others wanted.**

**Makoto: I just want to say, be who you want. Say what you want. Do what you want.**

**Makoto: It may go better than you expect.**

**Makoto: That's it, really. Thank you for listening. I wish you the best.**

Ryuji stared at his phone, absolutely confused. What the hell? Don't hold back? What was that supposed to mean? He decided not to ask her to clarify, since he got the feeling she wouldn't get any more specific about anything than that. 

Makoto closed off the conversation and put the top of her phone over her mouth as she thought and worried. Was she helpful? Or did she make things more complicated? She couldn't tell just yet. She shuts off her light and tucks under her blanket, staring into the darkness of her room for a moment. She quietly whispers two words into the darkness to dispel her worry before closing her eyes. 

"Good luck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really love Makoto and knew I wanted her in here. I loved how Ryuji was just immediately all "yes queen!" I like to think he likes dominant women, but he likes Akira more. That motorcycle though... tough competition, Joker.   
> Comments and kudos are, yeah you know.


	9. God Bless the Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't hold back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhm. *throws this and runs*  
> I hope the formatting looks better this time? Enjoy~!

The next day, after Makoto's weird text kept him up almost all night thinking about it, Ryuji decided to get some of the other's thoughts. So, before class in the morning, he texts everyone in the Phantom Thieves if Makoto had done the same to them. 

**Ryuji: hey ann did makoto send you anything weird last night?**

**Ann: huh??**

**Ryuji: like a weird and cryptic message**

**Ann: no, nothing like that**

**Ann: did she send you something odd?**

**Ryuji: she just told me that i shouldnt hold back?**

**Ann: hmm, I dunno about that. Is there anything on your mind that maybe you don't want to talk about? Or are you afraid of something?**

**Ryuji: oh gotta go class is starting**

**Ann: Ryuji class doesn't start for ten minutes...**

Ryuji felt a little worried. Of course there was something on his mind, it's been there for solid weeks now. And yeah he was afraid. He didn't know if she was just trying to be helpful or trying to hint that the objective is to get him to tell Akira. He shakes his head. He doesn't want to stop holding back on that one, who knows how embarrassing and/or heartbreaking it might get for him. He moves on to the next person. 

**Ryuji: hey yusuke did makoto send you anything weird last night?**

**Yusuke: Makoto has not sent me anything at all, really. Just exchanged hellos.**

**Yusuke: What did she say to you?**

**Ryuji: she wants me to stop holding back**

**Yusuke: Hm, that is odd. You hardly hold yourself back at all.**

**Ryuji: yeah exactly!**

**Ryuji: i just dont get it...**

**Yusuke: Maybe you should ask her what she meant?**

**Ryuji: i think shed just keep being vague like when I asked before. thanks tho**

Well that was a bust. Ryuji didn't feel like he had a grasp on what she wanted him to think of at all. He sucks in a breath. There was one person left to text now. 

**Ryuji: hey akira did makoto send you anything weird last night?**

**Akira: What kind of weird.**

**Ryuji: like, said some cryptic shit about how i shouldnt hold back**

**Akira: That is weird.**

**Akira: Are you holding something back? Why would she want you to stop?**

**Ryuji: i dont effin know!**

**Ryuji: she just texted out of the blue and said that bottling up feelings is bad so i should let them out**

**Ryuji: i have no freaking idea, man.**

**Akira: Yeah that is an unexpected text to get.**

**Akira: Hey, do you want to come over today? We already finished your paper so we could just do whatever.**

**Ryuji: hell yeah man! im always down to get down with you!**

**Akira: Cool. See you after school.**

**Ryuji: dont fall asleep in class! thats my job**

**Ryuji: seeya :)**

The smile emoticon Ryuji sent matched his face, and he leaned on his desk staring at his phone like a bit of a lovestruck fool. He was at least excited now instead of just confused and worried. He does wonder why Akira wanted to invite him over, but doesn't think too much of it. He was just happy to get a chance to hang out. 

Ryuji looks through his contacts again to make sure he had texted everyone. He thought about it for a moment, feeling like he was missing a thief. He couldn't text Makoto about it, he got Ann, Yusuke, and Akira already. Morgana doesn't have a phone. That's all of them, but it doesn't add up. There were six of them now, who was the- 

Ryuji hates mornings. He does stupid shit like forget to count himself in as part of the group. 

Classes begin and he keeps his mind more focused on what Makoto said than what the teacher was saying. He manages to not fall asleep in any classes at least, surviving until lunch. Ann and Makoto went off somewhere on their own, apparently, leaving just Ryuji and Akira to sit together. And Morgana, he soon finds out as the cat sticks his head out of the bag. 

They sat in that back closed in corner outside, with the benches and vending machines. Ryuji leans back in his spot on the end of the bench, almost shoulder to shoulder with Akira even though the bench was big enough for them to sit farther apart. 

"Ugh... only halfway through the day. Halfway!" He grumps, kicking a rock on the ground. Akira wipes off his mouth with the back of his hand, looking over at Ryuji with a blank expression. 

"We're living on a prayer." He says, face still completely stoic and his voice serious. Ryuji groans but laughs afterwards, while Morgan just groans. 

"I knew you were going to say that..." The cat mumbles, sounding disappointed in the boy he was using as his perch. Akira apologizes to the cat on his shoulder by offering a bit of his lunch up to him. Morgana accepts the offering, and Ryuji is reminded of a god receiving gifts from their worshippers. 

"Man, I wish we were in the same class." Ryuji speaks up after a moment, staring at the other's hair and the slant of his nose from the side. "I could look at you all day long." His eyes drift to the surprised face Akira held. His wide eyes were so pretty but somewhat obstructed by his glasses. Ryuji wanted to take them off to better see those eyes. 

In the corner of his vision, Ryuji spots a certain cat staring at him from Akira's shoulder, peeking around the back as if he was sneaky. Ryuji breaks the gaze between himself and Akira to look at Morgana. 

"What're you lookin' at?" He asks defensively, crossing his arms. "Do I have something on my face? Did I say something weird?" 

Morgana chuckles.  
"I never said anything. But you always say something weird, Ryuji. I'm used to that! But you do have a crumb on your cheek." The cat flicks his tail and puts his head back around to the front. Akira looks over at Ryuji after a moment. 

"Do I have stuff on my face, bro?" Ryuji looks worried, trying to rub anything off his clear face. "Did I get it?" Akira shakes his head. 

"No, you completely missed it. Here, let me get it." Akira leans forward, pushing a thumb against Ryuji's cheek. He slides it gently around the corner of his mouth before slipping his hand off, running that thumb across Ryuji's lips in the process. 

"Ok, now I got it." Akira confirms. Truthfully, there was never anything on his face. But Ryuji didn't need to know that little tidbit of information. Now, they were closer together, shoulders touching as Akira leaned into him. He watches the hand that was mostly withdrawn from his face twitch as if uncertain before moving up again to just lay the tips of his fingers on Ryuji's cheek. 

"Oh god it's happening again." Ryuji thinks silently. Just like last time, there was such a tension in the air, and he couldn't let it break, he didn't know what would happen if it broke. He didn't want to lose his friendship because of a kiss, Akira probably didn't even think of him that way. The guy was weird, he got up in everyone's space, it's not unusual for him to be close to someone's face. It had to just be Ryuji who was pushing his own emotions into the air to make it this tense. 

Ryuji thanks whatever god is the one that saved him this moment when he hears a group of girls around the corner and coming towards the little area they sat in. Akira leaned back, nodding. 

"Yeah, I got it." He seemed to keep his face down as the girls walked in. Of course the group noticed them and immediately their careless chatting died and became a little more nervous. Ryuji could feel them looking at the two of them, fearing them like they were some kind of criminals. He narrows his eyes, looking at the group of them, wanting to tell them that Akira at least isn't what they think he is. His glare doesn't help the fear in the group, he soon finds, and they abscond quickly with their friend who got a drink from the vending machine. 

Ryuji sighs, leaning his head back to look at the dirty ceiling of their little area. 

"I hate that." He grumbles, and Akira looks up with a "hm?" 

"I hate how they look at you. They don't even know you, they think you're some kind of murderer or some'n. It ain't fair." Ryuji feels the other bump his shoulder against his own and he looks over, seeing a warm smile on Akira's face. 

"Probably doesn't help that I hang around with the toughest guy around." His words make Ryuji smile a bit too, turning his head away in a little embarrassment as he rubs the back of his neck. 

"Aw, I dunno if I'm the toughest..." He sees Akira shake his head out of the corner of his eye. 

"Dude, you punched a teacher, who then broke your leg. And you still fought back against him after that. That's pretty tough, I'd say." 

Ryuji smiles wider, tossing an arm around the other's back, pulling him into a side hug. Akira puts his hand over top Ryuji's on his shoulder. 

"Thanks, man. That's actually really nice to hear. I don't think other people see it that way though." He sighs. "Not that I care what they think really, but I mean, it'd be nice to not have everyone always either being scared of you or judging you." 

Akira leans into his friend's side a little, putting his head on his shoulder. 

"Yeah, it does get annoying. But it's okay if I've got you." He says, nestling in comfortably on Ryuji's shoulder now. The blonde closes his eyes and just enjoys the moment. 

"Yeah. Same here. The others just don't get it, they're just judged by society. We've got it tough being like, the delinquent and the mysterious intimidating new guy." He agrees, and the head on his shoulder nods. 

They sit like that for a moment longer, Ryuji glad that Morgana actually went back into his bag while they talked instead of joining in. It was unusual, actually. That was a pretty chatty cat. The bell rings and the two share a sigh. Ryuji waits for Akira to lift his head first, but the guy takes his time. He thinks he feels something against his neck before Akira pulls away from him, something like a kiss. It couldn't be, though. Probably just a slip up or something. 

Akira then stands up, adjusting the bag on his shoulder, and gives Ryuji a wave goodbye before walking quickly off to his next class. Ryuji waves back with a little smile. The side of his neck tingles. 

Classes seem to go by so slowly after that. Ryuji spent more time than he wanted to admit thinking about that... "something" on his neck. It had to be a mistake. But still, he found his fingers smoothing over that side of his neck as if there was something there. 

The final class finally ends, and Ryuji is up and out the door in seconds. He had packed up his books shortly before class was over so he could escape faster. He bounced on the balls of his feet as he waited in his spot by the stairs for Akira to come out. It takes too long, even though it's only about a minute. He grins when he finally sees that fluffy hair that looks like it was brushed with a stick. The face under that hair looks over and grins as soon as he sees Ryuji. They get out of school as fast as possible and walk back to LeBlanc, going upstairs after greeting the Boss. 

They get up to Akira's room, and Ryuji looks around like usual. Nothing seems to have changed at all really. He turns around and sees Akira putting down a little notebook before looking up. The eyes behind the glasses flick over to the side and Akira shifts uncomfortably. 

"I'll be wandering around outside. It's too nice of a day not to lounge in the sun." Morgana announces before climbing out the window. Ryuji swings his arms back and forth as he purses his lips in thought. 

"So, what d'you wanna d-" he starts, but is soon cut of by a weirdly commanding tone from Akira. 

"We should talk." He says, and Ryuji already knows what that means, not exactly what they were talking about, but he knows it's bad. It strikes fear into his heart and throughout his body. Those words are never followed by a good conversation, he's sure of it. 

"Okay." Ryuji replies, glancing to the side to look at the plant. "About what?" He sees Akira shift again out of the corner of his eye before turning to watch him sit down on the futon against the wall. 

"Sit down." He says, so Ryuji sits down next to him. He doesn't throw his arms over the back and lean back like usual. 

"Uh. Okay? So, is there like, something wrong bro?" His leg bounces on the floor nervously, watching Akira stare at the floor really intensely. The other sighs, looking paler than usual. 

"No. I just. Have feelings for someone." He admits, and immediately Ryuji's heart sinks. Oh. Well, it was only a matter of time before Akira found someone else. It was dumb to think he'd choose someone like him. Ryuji smiles, punching him on the arm lightly. 

"Aw, c'mon bro! Why'd'ya look so shy about it? Tell me more, what's she like?" He asks, tone completely happy sounding despite feeling like he wanted to go home instead and have a good cry. And he wasn't a crier! ... usually. 

"Uh." Akira starts, scratching his chin nervously. "Well she uh. Is nice. A genuinely good person though she makes a lot of mistakes." Ryuji listens intently, wondering if it was a girl from their group or someone from school. "She's cool and sweet and fun to be around but I'm pretty sure she doesn't feel the same way and wants us to just be... bros." Akira continues with hesitation. Ryuji frowns. 

"Well, if you want to know how she feels, maybe you could ask her? What's the worst that could happen?" Ryuji says, then actually thinks about his words, eyebrows wrinkling. 

"Hah, a whole lot. She could decide that like, it's too weird to be friends with a guy who likes her like that and not want to be friends anymore or hate me or something." Akira keeps his gaze fixed on the floor. Ryuji thinks about those words too. He was pretty sure he knew all Akira's friends, so who was it? 

"Well, yeah, maybe. But if she doesn't want to be friends anymore because you confessed, then maybe she isn't a really good friend then?" He thinks harder about these words, hearing Akira hum thoughtfully. Ryuji starts putting this all together for himself, something he probably should have done before. A really good friend. Akira never gave Ryuji any reason to believe that he was unloved. In fact, he helped Ryuji feel worthwhile from someone other than his mother. If one little confession would mess up everything they've been through... that would be ridiculous. 

Akira opens his mouth to say something, cutting it off before he makes a noise and looks up as Ryuji speaks instead.  
"Hey. I just wanted to let you know that I'm in the same situation. I like someone but I can't tell hih- her. But I want to. So bad." Now he thinks back to what Makoto had told him. 

Don't hold back your feelings. Okay, Makoto. If you say so. 

"Hey, Akira?" Ryuji continues to speak, not giving Akira a chance to. His friend swallows and looks over at him sadly. "I, um, think I figured out what I want to give you as thanks for helping me." 

"Yeah?" The other raises an eyebrow, looking more interested than sad now. Ryuji nods, standing up. 

"Yeah!" He repeats, a little too enthusiastically. "Just close your eyes and I'll get it for you." Once Akira has his eyes closed, Ryuji leans down. He tries not to make it obvious, at least not at first. "Oh god, please don't let this ruin everything." He thinks to himself, closing his eyes tightly for a second before opening them again. He thinks there might be a few tears building up in there. 

He reaches a hand out and gently touches the side of Akira's face. The other jumps, causing Ryuji to jump as well, but neither of them say anything and Akira keeps his eyes closed. Ryuji can feel his heart beating in his throat. This is it. This is the moment. He wasn't going to let anything interrupt it this time. 

Ryuji places his hand firmly against Akira's jawline, tilting his head up towards himself. He knew Akira must have figured out what was happening now, but there was no fear or hesitation in his face, in either of their faces. Ryuji breathes out quietly through his nose before closing his eyes and leaning in. 

There's no sparks, no fanfare, no fireworks or angels singing in the background. Just the quiet attic with just the two of them and the softer noises of the café below them. The moment that skin touches skin, Ryuji feels no more fear. It's done, it's happening. What Akira will do after this is the future. But for now he just enjoys the kiss. 

It's soft, nothing like trying to kiss his pillow or his hand. There wasn't much to it either, just standing there for a few moments that could last an eternity and Ryuji wouldn't notice. He didn't move other than press in a little more. He thinks he can feel Akira pushing his lips up against him too now. It's so simple, nothing like in the movies where they immediately go for open mouth slobbering all over each other. It's chaste and small yet full of love and he's waited so long for this moment, he was waiting before he even knew he was waiting. He wanted to stay longer, but he soon realized that he wasn't breathing.

Ryuji pulls back slowly and breathes again, opening his eyes as he stays close. He sees that Akira had raised one of his hands and it was left hovering close to Ryuji's head. Akira blinks his eyes open, looking up in stunned and joyous silence. Then, he looks down, dropping the hand to take his glasses off, seeing them over to the table on the side. He lifts his eyes again, unhidden by frames and glass, and Ryuji really wants to sit down again now. Akira opens his mouth. 

"I'm sorry." He says, the emotion difficult to read. The joy in Ryuji's heart shatters. This. This is a rejection. He is being rejected. He searches Akira's face for any indication that this wasn't true, but his face is as easy to read as his voice, leaving Ryuji quietly responding. 

"Sorry for what...?" He asks hesitantly, afraid of the answer. Akira blinks, reaching a hand up to pet down the side of Ryuji's face, stopping at his chin. 

"For not doing this sooner." Akira says, and Ryuji is lost in a blur of movement. The hand on his chin is grabbing the back of his neck, there is another hand on his waist, he feels like he's falling but then he feels cushioned, there's a pressure against his mouth and its suffocating him, stealing the air from his lungs and he fucking loves it. 

As soon as he can get his wits about him, he grabs onto Akira as well, hands gripping the fabric on the back of his shirt. Ryuji tries to keep up with his lips, but Akira is slaughtering him, destroying him with each movement and slide of that soft skin against his own somewhat less soft skin. He thinks he's gasping, making noises that he shouldn't be letting himself make, but Ryuji doesn't care. He clutches onto Akira's back tighter, and he straight up whines when he feels his bottom lip being bitten. There is a moment of breath after that, just a moment. Akira looks at him and Ryuji looks right back and for once he can read his grey eyes. 

Want. 

"Akira..." Ryuji doesn't even think about saying anything, but he hears his voice, and he definitely hears the low groan from Akira in response. 

He's laying back now, somehow, he can't remember how. He does know that he's chest to chest, body to body, mouth to mouth, completely covered by the guy he's been dreaming of doing this with and Ryuji thinks this must be what dying feels like. 

Their lips part again, and he's panting now. They both are, both out of breath and red in the face. Ryuji doesn't get long to take in how Akira looks like this when he ducks his head into his shoulder. Ryuji tilts his head so that Akira can hide his face there if that's what he wants, but it soon becomes clear there was more on his mind than hiding. 

Ryuji makes another very undignified and unmanly noise, gripping tighter onto Akira's back as the beautiful awful wonderful perfect terrible boy on top of him sucks a bit of skin into his mouth and bites it. It stings a bit, pinches, but soon there is relief when the spot is released, being soothed by kisses. The kisses move up to his ear and now it's his earlobe being bitten. It all feels so nice, Ryuji closes his eyes with a happy smile, leaning his head back until Akira kisses his way back to his mouth. 

Akira shifts on top of him, moving his body to be more comfortable. That's all fine and dandy, but Ryuji feels something hard press against his leg and Akira's moving more and the thought "oh god he's grinding on me" makes his brain short circuit. This was all happening so fast. It was amazing and perfect and he loved every second of it and all, but it was also overwhelming and scary and new. 

It's becoming harder to think and breathe, especially as he feels Akira's hand start to slip up his shirt, feeling like ice on Ryuji's burning up body. It feels so good, and he doesn't want it to stop, but Akira puts his head back into the crook of his neck and is breathing so heavily into his ear and his hips found an angle against his own so that they're rubbing against each other now and- 

"Akira...." The word comes out like a plea, and Ryuji would cringe at the sound of it if he cared in that moment. The face buried in his neck responds with what could only be described as a breathy moan and Ryuji squeezes his eyes shut. That hand is sliding further up his chest now, and he feels teeth against his neck again. It was all so much, too much, he couldn't breathe. His mind comes back to him and he almost has to force himself to pull Akira back by the hands on the back of his shirt instead of pull him closer. 

"Wait-" He can barely make the simple word come out. But then it stops, Akira stops moving, stops biting his neck, and leans up. He's panting, and god Ryuji almost wants to take that word back when he sees his face. 

"You okay?" Akira asks, looking worried, yet still with that look in his eye that yells "I want to devour you." Ryuji shudders. 

"Y-yeah. It's just. A lot. I-" He looks away, unable to keep eye contact with that expression. Made him feel almost like he was prey, trapped. He kinda liked it. He feels the hand that worked its way up his shirt pull back out and cup his face, turning his head to look back the one on top. 

"Do you want to stop?" Akira asks, gentle, that look that had Ryuji a mixture of frightened and aroused fading now. Safe. He nods silently. 

"Okay." Akira sits up and helps Ryuji to sit up as well. The latter can't help himself from chasing after the other for one last quick little kiss. The two look at each other before both breaking out into grins. 

"Dude, we could've been doing this months ago." Akira says with amusement, and Ryuji laughs softly, breathless. 

"I was too much of a pussy to do this months ago." Ryuji responds, leaning his forehead against Akira's. The latter laughs, leaning his forehead right back up against his friend's(?) until their noses touched. 

"I guess you figured out how to stop holding back your feelings, huh?" Akira smiles, and the nod Ryuji responds with shakes both of their heads. 

"Yeah. That fine with you?" He asks back, the question a bit of a tease. 

"I think so." Akira replies with a laugh, joking right back. Ryuji leans his chin forward and pulls his friend(?) into a few more kisses, both of them trying (and failing) to keep the smiles off their faces. They pull apart again, and Ryuji refuses to acknowledge the wetness in his eyes. He's not a crier. He's not. 

Luckily, he doesn't have to worry about Akira seeing, since he soon pulls him into a crushing hug. They sit like that for a moment, just holding each other while Ryuji begrudgingly blinks out a few tears as they fill his vision despite his best efforts. They don't part for a while. 

"Hey." Ryuji breaks the silence, not moving from the hug. 

"Hm?" Akira responds, also not changing the tightness of his arms holding Ryuji close. 

"Do you want to take this over to the bed?" Ryuji feels Akira tense up at the suggestion. 

"I thought you wanted to slow-" He starts, but Ryuji cuts him off with a laugh. 

"Sorry, sorry. Not like that. I just wanted to lay down." He explains, and Akira relaxes and laughs as well. 

"Oh, yeah. Yeah we can do that." 

The two break apart to go lay down, facing each other. They tangle up as much as possible, moving their limbs until nobody's arm is crushed and nobody's leg is stretched too far. Ryuji falls asleep thinking that he'll have to thank Makoto later. Akira falls asleep wondering how Ryuji can still smile so wide when not awake to keep it that way. 

Morgana comes back to the window eventually, hesitantly peeking in. He didn't want to see something he wouldn't want to see, after all. He breathes a sigh of relief before coming back inside, curling up on the futon. He can excuse his spot being stolen. For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh I don't have much of a comment for this one just, I was unsure if I should do it this chapter or wait till the next chapter and I was like. I've tortured them enough, I don't need to drag this out for a pointless suspense chapter. So here   
> (/•.•)/~*


	10. Honeymoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after, but without the regret. Opposite, actually. Things are going great so far! Except for impending 300,000¥ doom on the horizon. That might make things a little less fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya here we go with another chapter yeet. I uh might be taking a long time to write sometimes. Not gonna get into details but just life, man. Life. As usual, I hope you enjoy?

Ryuji slips into consciousness like he slipped out of it, uncontrollable but slow. He feels something against his mouth, moving a bit. He sighs a little, breathing out and the feeling goes away, just for a moment. Then it returns, just once. 

Ryuji blinks his eyes open and can just make out Akira's face in the darkness. The other pulled back from the soft kiss he left with a small smirk. Ryuji stretches an arm out and yawns, turning his face to the side. 

"G'morn'n." He mumbles out, falling back into his previous position after stretching. 

"Night, actually." Akira corrects him, and explains further after Ryuji's confused expression. "We fell asleep around 5 pm. It's 8 now." He closes his eyes and leans forward to just touch noses, a little boop of affection. "You looked so nice sleeping but I thought you might want to tell your mom." 

"Tell my mom?" Ryuji looks more confused at that. "I'm sure I'll tell her about us eventually but is now really the time?" His question makes Akira snort with a little laugh. 

"No, to tell her that you're staying the night." Akira drops his amused smile with an honest question. "You do want to stay, right?" For once, Ryuji is the one who gets to look at the other with the "are you serious" expression. It truly is a momentous day. 

"Um, hell yeah I do? I coulda slept all night and not've cared, probably." Ryuji thinks for a moment. "Probably." He then blinks the topic away. "Anyway, I am glad you woke me up to call her. Don't wanna worry her." He sits up slowly, and Akira joins him in the upright position as they move apart. 

Ryuji picks up his phone from where he left it before laying down. He makes the phone call, swinging his legs over the side of the bed as he momentarily blinded himself with the phone screen lighting up in his face. 

"Hey. Yeah, I'm good. Yeah, I had a good day. Hey, so I'm gonna spend the night at Akira's alright? Wh- yes. Yeah, the one with glasses and a cat. Yeah, I'll do that. Yes mom. Okay. Alright. Good night. Yes. Goodnight. I love you too, goodnight. Yeah okay. Yes I'll be fine, stop. Okay! Okay. Goodnight. I love you. Bye." Ryuji closes the call and breathes out. "Fhooooo, man. Y'know? She's great an' all but man. Kinda annoying sometimes." He shakes his head, squinting around the room now. 

Akira shuffles, getting up from behind him and out of the bed. He seemed to know exactly where to go, because after a moment he told Ryuji to shut his eyes and turned the light on. When he reopens his eyes, Akira is walking down the stairs telling him he's heading to the bathroom. Ryuji calls back a confirmation and sighs, running his fingers through his short hair. 

So much had happened, and really it was only a short time. The rest of the day was normal, except for that moment at lunch. Now he curses those girls for getting in the damn way. But it all worked out, and now he has Akira, and Akira has him, and his lips still feel all tingly. He touches them for a moment, smile breaking across his face. That all happened, it totally happened. God damn, he felt so stupidly giddy, it was honestly the best. 

"I guess you finally figured it out then, huh?" A high pitched voice scares Ryuji out of his happy little moment, making the boy yelp and jump. He looks over to see Morgana laying on the futon. 

"Morgana! What are you doing here?" He asks with utmost surprise.

"Ryuji I live here." The cat replies blankly. 

"Oh. Right." The boy blinks, looking a little ashamed that he actually asked that question in total seriousness. "How long have you been here though? Were you like, watching us?" 

"You know damn well I don't want to see any of you two doing any of that stuff." Morgana gags. "I came back while you were sleeping, thankfully." 

"Oh. Yeah. You're probably the least likely to spy on some hot guy on guy action." Ryuji agrees and Morgana gags again.

"Do not say those words ever again." He says, wiping his face with his paw. Ryuji grins deviously, proud of himself. After a moment of somewhat awkward silence, Akira returns up the stairs, now in a plain black t-shirt and shorts. It was always so easy to forget about how long Akira's legs are when they're encased in plaid, but free like that, damn. It also reminds Ryuji that he himself was still fully dressed. 

"Hey, uh. Can I borrow something to wear? I ain't sleeping in my uniform all night." Ryuji scratches the back of his head while Akira puts his own uniform away in a box. 

"You don't have to wear anything." He says, not even flirty about it, just stating it as a fact. Morgana puts his foot, err, his paw down. 

"Oh yes he does have to wear anything! Rule 1: Ryuji has to wear clothes." The cat is very set and determined with this rule, and secretly Ryuji is kind of relieved. It's one thing to be in just underwear and sleeping across the room, another thing if they're staying together in the same bed all night. He's just not sure if he's quite ready for that yet, it still felt so new and surreal. Sure he was the type of guy to jump into things without thinking, but with this he wanted to make sure it went well and good. They had all the time in the world!   
Until they don't.   
Oh... 

"Don't look so disappointed Ryuji, there will be plenty of other chances when Morgana isn't around." Akira sits down next to him with a wink, handing him a grey shirt and shorts. Ryuji looks up in confusion. Apparently he had been making a sad face while thinking about when they would inevitably have to go separate ways. 

"Oh god, PLEASE don't say things like that. Ever." Morgana bends down and puts his paws over his head like he's shielding from a rock fall. Akira laughs at the reaction, and Ryuji starts to join in after a moment. The laughter feels right, and sitting there next to Akira feels right. Ryuji was always all about living in the moment and making the most of it, so god damn him if he moped around about what would happen in the future instead of enjoy the time he has now. 

Ryuji takes the clothes and changes in the bathroom. It's not that he was embarrassed to change in front of Akira or Morgana. He didn't really care, Morgana was definitely not fond of the idea, and Akira was definitely very fond of the idea. But really he had to go to the bathroom anyway so might as well do both. 

Ryuji walks back up the stairs, rolling his eyes as Akira whistled at him. It wasn't like he was showing anything, but for some reason he still feels a little flustered. Akira's literally seen him full nude before at the bath house, so this should be nothing. He wonders if it's more embarrassing knowing that the flirts and suggestive comments were serious now. He shoves the thought away and makes his way over to where Akira is sitting on the bed, stretching his arms up with a yawn. 

"You know, napping for three hours really tired me out. Such hard work." He smirks, sitting down next to Akira on the edge of the bed. His friend(?) agrees with a snort. 

"Yeah, really backbreaking." The black haired boy yawns after Ryuji infects him with it, and he sinks back into the bed sideways with his legs still over the edge and his head up against the wall. Ryuji joins him after a moment, his head bending uncomfortably because of the wall too. They quickly decide to get out of that position and return to the bed the right way around. 

Akira eventually clicks the light off again and makes his way back over. Ryuji faces the wall on his side, and instinctively tenses up when Akira snakes his arm around him from the back. He feels a gentle kiss on the back of his neck and immediately relaxes. This was safe, a safe and comfortable place. It was warm in the room, but not too hot. It felt right. 

He can feel Akira all pressed right up against his back, knees even bending to match Ryuji's. The little spoon closes his eyes with a smile and sighs through his nose while he feels a few more kisses against the back and side of his neck. 

"Man, you sure are smoochy." Ryuji comments quietly, and he can feel Akira's smile against his skin. 

"Is that bad?" He asks, placing a few more soft pecks. 

"Nah. Just don't do it too long. A guy needs sleep, y'know?" Ryuji shuffles a little in place, pressing himself more comfortably in the grasp around him. He hears Akira's hum of agreement, and after a few more little kisses, they both rest comfortably. 

Sleeping for longer than eight hours is different than three hours. Case A: Ryuji moves around a lot in his sleep and B: Akira usually stays perfectly still. Needless to say, there were many times when Akira would receive an arm to the face or a kick in the shin. Morgana was glad to be on the futon instead of in that mess. 

The next morning was oddly normal feeling. It was less unreal and unbelievable, and felt more like this was the way it was meant to be. Akira had to drag Ryuji out of bed (after he freed himself from the iron koala grip the guy had on him) by getting up and hitting him with the pillow. Morgana threatened to start jumping on him too but then the sleepy Ryuji got up very quickly, suddenly awake as ever. They left for school together, waving bye to Sojiro as they headed out. They didn't notice the way the older man's eyebrow raised with his well wishes for their day. 

Arriving school became more awkward. They had to split up to their different classrooms like usual, but neither of them where quite sure what was appropriate to do now that they were "a thing." Do they hug? Kiss? Shake hands?? Ryuji ends up being the first to move, doing what he usually does by waving back at Akira with a "see you at lunch, bro!" He wasn't sure if it was too impersonal, but at least it was safe. He thinks. 

Everything seems fine at lunch. Ann and Makoto join them today, the gang being all together. Except for Yusuke, of course. Ryuji kind of felt sorry for the guy. He hoped he had friends in his school and wasn't all alone. If he was anything like he was when first meeting them though, the chance was... unlikely. 

Nothing very interesting happens during lunch besides Makoto getting called to the principal about halfway through. The three left finished up and chatted until it was over. Afterwards, Ryuji texted Akira during class, the question on his mind distracting him. 

**Ryuji: hey**

**Ryuji: do you think we shoulda told them?**

**Akira: Do you want to tell them?**

**Ryuji: well i think they should know, yknow**

**Akira: Yeah I agree.**

Ryuji puts his phone away, glad that they are on the same page. He tries to concentrate but then he feels his pocket vibrate again. 

**Akira: I have the feeling that Makoto knows already.**

**Ryuji: you know she probably does**

**Ryuji: fricken perceptive little buttercup**

**Akira: Whoa there watch the fucking language.**

**Ryuji: :|**

**Akira: You know, I actually invited you over because she talked to me too.**

**Ryuji: she told you to stop holding back too??**

**Akira: Yeah. I had no idea what she was talking about at first, but I figured it was about telling you. Thought that it would be better if I ignored it, didn't know if you would feel the same.**

**Akira: You said you got a similar message, so that must've meant she thought that both of us had feelings. So I invited you over and everything.**

**Akira: Don't tell anyone this but... I kinda lost my nerve when we got there.**

For some reason, this information makes Ryuji smile. It felt really amazing knowing that the person you love loves you back. It felt even more amazing to know that they were just as nervous about it as you too. 

**Ryuji: youre cute**

**Akira: Don't patronize me**

**Ryuji: cute.**

Ryuji stares down at his phone he had hidden under the table. The lovestruck look on his face gave him away though, since there was no way he would be making that face at anything schoolwork related. 

"Sakamoto! No phones in class, you of all people should start trying to be more respectful." The teacher glares at him as he puts the device back in his pocket. It buzzes again and he has to force himself to ignore it. It's almost painful. 

Finally, finally, classes end for the day and he is free. He looks at his phone and grins at the message that he got during class. 

**Akira: Takes one to know one**

Ryuji starts typing, getting his books together and getting up. 

**Ryuji: you wanna hang out again today?**

He made his way towards his usual spot to wait for Akira. His phone buzzes again and he looks at it eagerly. 

**Akira: God damn you know I do, but we should really get back in the palace today. We haven't made enough progress.**

**Ryuji: oh right, i kinda forgot about the incoming doom...**

**Ryuji: i could still come over after that?**

**Akira: Ryuji you know you'll be exhausted and pass out immediately.**

**Ryuji: no i wont**

He doesn't get a response this time, but only because Akira was now standing in front of him. 

"You definitely will. But you can follow me home if you want to." Akira shrugs, nonchalant. Morgana gives an annoyed "ughk".

"Like a dog." The cat mutters. Ryuji points at Morgana's face threateningly. 

"Hey, you compare me to a dog but who's higher on the food chain?" The argument is broken up by Akira lowering Ryuji's pointing hand and shooshing Morgana. He doesn't say anything, but the comment is heard. Calm down. Akira pulls his phone out and lets everyone else know where they were headed today. Ann joins them in the hall quickly, and Makoto reaches them by the time they get past the front gate of the school. 

The group reach their destination, Yusuke waiting for them there already. The boy smiles when he sees them, but Ryuji noticed the corner of his mouth twitch a bit. He frowned, thinking about how the guy must feel. There he is, all alone, and there come his friends, all together as one, a happy cluster. Ryuji knows what it feels like to be left out, though his case was because his teammates didn't actually like him. Yusuke is lucky in that regard, having friends who cared about him. 

As soon as they all joined together, he just sank in, like a drop of water joining a a bigger drop of water on the car window when driving in the rain. Until the drop became too fat and turned into a stream of water on the window, bits of the drop splitting off into different directions with the wind.   
Damn. That was kinda poetic. Hopefully not foreshadowing anything, though. Ryuji pushed his mind away from the thoughts. After all, it was about to be time to smash some heads. 

The two decided they didn't want to tell the others while in a palace, and they were all too tired after leaving to talk much anyway. So their revelation is postponed once again, even if there was something obviously different with the way they fought in battle now. It was like the two were trying to outdo each other and show off, and honestly from an outside perspective, it was kind of silly. Akira was doing unnecessary flips and other acrobatics while Ryuji kept trying to hit hardest out of everyone. There was quite the amusing moment when he tried to spin his lead pipe around his arm, not only smacking himself in the face but also dropping it on his foot. 

Ryuji followed Akira home after they get back from the palace like he wanted. Their obvious leaving together was not missed by everyone else. They decided not to say anything though, wanting to hear it from the couple themselves. It's late when they get into the café, and Sojiro was just closing up. 

"Oh good, you're back. I was beginning to think something happened." That eyebrow of Sojiro's raised again, seeing Ryuji. "You know I'm not housing two people here." His tone is warning, but Akira doesn't really care. 

"I know he's just a guest. Good night sir." The teen says, waving tiredly before going upstairs as Sojiro replies and leaves. As soon as Ryuji sits down on the futon to take his shoes off, he passes right out. Morgana and Akira give each other a look just saying "we told him so," and then Akira moves Ryuji to lay him down on the seat after he finishes taking his shoes off for him. 

Akira is similarly out cold moments later in his own bed. Morgana lifts his chin with pride for not being so tired as them, but he then lays down on Akira with a yawn like usual and falls asleep quickly too. But he could have stopped himself if he wanted! He just chose to sleep quickly, because it's good for him. Yes. He wasn't fatigued at all. 

They still had very far to explore in the palace, if they knew anything about palaces. Time was not being the kindest. For once, Akira is actually very seriously worried that they might not win this one. He keeps it to himself though, having to motivate his team. They definitely wouldn't win without hope, and as leader, it was his responsibility to supply that. He would give anything he had to give in order to win. He would give everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehh Im wondering if I might've rushed tempo of the writing on this one. Also i might take some time to post more because this is exactly as far as I've gotten in game, and uh, canon accuracy is a thing I want to have some of but I also don't want to be spoiled ha ha.,,, I don't know if I'm good enough at games to defeat kaneshiro within one day. Irl day not game day that'd be impossible. Anyway I'm rambling now so sorry anyway yeah that's just what I wanted to say bye


	11. Some doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone fights in the palace and things don't quite go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I played more in kaneshiro's palace yesterday (I woulda played more today too if I weren't a turd all day) and almost died. Usually the saferooms were spaced out decently in the other palaces! Anyway, enjoy.

Once again, Ryuji finds himself waking up in Akira's room. It was the middle of the night, he was still in his uniform, and he was laying on the futon. There were two things wrong with this picture, as far as he's concerned. Slipping out of his pants(that was the only part of the uniform he actually wears anyway), he sneaks his way over creaking floorboards towards Akira's bed. Ryuji thinks he's doing a good job not waking up his... his Akira and not bumping into anything. Guided by the slight light provided from the window, he gets over to the bed in the silence. 

"You look like a cartoon burglar." Akira's sudden comment cutting through the silence scares the shit out of Ryuji. He yelps and jumps backwards, losing his footing and falling to the floor with a thud. Akira's laughter bubbles up before the boy clearly tries to cut it off. 

"Shit, you okay?" Akira asks, sitting up while another voice whines. 

"You two are insufferable..." Morgana mumbles. 

"I thought you were asleep!" Ryuji whisper shouts, standing up while rubbing his behind. "Break my effin' ass..." he grumbles to himself as Akira stands up, still holding back laughter that bubbled out in little giggles every so often. 

"I woke up when I heard you get up. Creaky floors." Akira explains, putting his hand on the side of Ryuji's shoulder to guide him over to the bed. They both lay down like its natural, Akira laying flat with Ryuji against his side, head on his chest, and a leg thrown over top the other's legs. Morgana reluctantly lays back down on Akira's stomach, trying to avoid snuggling up against Ryuji. 

"Light sleeper." Ryuji yawns as a question. Akira just hums in response, not agreeing nor disagreeing, just a flat little "hm." 

By the time they have to get up for school the next morning, Morgana had sprawled across the both of them, stretched out comfortably. The cat retreated as soon as he realized this, and denies it ever happened. The other two really didn't care. 

That day they go to the palace. It was tough work, and this time it went a little worse than most days. The team had traveled very far, fought a lot of shadows, and disabled a lot of security cameras. Akira assured the tired team that they would find a safe room soon, and they could go home when they did. It soon became clear they were not going to reach a safe room in time before they exhausted themselves, so they retreated. 

Akira did something unthinkable. He made a mistake. While darting from one corner to the next, he tripped and fell flat in the middle of the floor. The stumble alerted a nearby guard dog, and the tired team got attacked and surrounded. The shadows were strong and relentless, so it wasn't long until most of the team was knocked down, and Morgana and Ann couldn't heal anyone as they were the first to fall, really. Makoto, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Akira hold on, but soon Yusuke is knocked out too. It isn't long before Makoto tires herself out, and falls too. 

There was some sort of weird feeling that Akira had. He couldn't let himself fall in battle, he didn't know why, but he knew that he wouldn't get back up. 

"Yo, I ain't doin' so good, bro..." Ryuji was panting, hunched over in pain and holding his shotgun. He was too tired to summon his persona anymore, and banked on the few bullets he had to stop the shadows. He took out one at least, and did a good amount of damage on another one before his bullets ran out. Akira was rather exhausted too, but he knew he could finish this. He had to. There were only two left, weak to electricity. If only Ryuji could still summon. 

Akira desperately searched for a persona in his list, finally finding none. The one he had now could take his health and rampage, but he was far too weak to do that. Ryuji was weaker, though, and had the same ability. He thought about sacrificing himself so that his friend could finish it off with the health given to him. In the end, Akira looked over at his friend apologetically, and healed himself. 

Ryuji was knocked out of battle immediately, and then Akira managed to destroy the other two shadows. The entire team lay hurt and tired on the floor, the safe room just down the hall. Somehow, they make it back alive by using each other as support, traveling in what could only be described as a jumble. When healed up more and safe in the room, Morgana is the first one to scold their leader. 

"Joker, what was that? I've never seen you flub up like that before." The cat says, eyes wide. Yusuke agrees. 

"Indeed. Are you alright, Joker?" His voice holds concern. Akira shakes his head with a forced smile, waving his hand. 

"Stop worrying. I'm fine now that we are safe. I was tired then, is all. I will not make the mistake of pushing us too far again." Their leader assures them. They soon return to the real world, all much more tired than usual. It was Ann's idea that they should all text the group when they returned home safely, seeing as they all looked dead on their feet. 

They split off on their different ways, but like usual now, Ryuji sticks behind a bit with Akira. 

"Hey, dude-" he starts with a friendly tone. 

"I'm sorry." Akira cuts him off, head held low. "I'm sorry, I put everyone in danger, and even at the end I-" 

"Stop." Ryuji looks at him, serious. "Imma stop you right there. Stop feelin' bad, it's fine." He gives Akira one of those winning smiles that make the leader's heart melt. He doesn't smile back, though. 

"But I put myself and my goals before the team. I healed myself instead of you, I-" 

"Dude, stop." Ryuji actually sounds kind of pissed now. "This isn't the confident Akira I know. You gotta stop puttin' yourself down. Sure, you made a mistake. Everyone does. You apologized. That's it! Don't-" he yawns, patting Akira on the back. "Don't keep beating yourself up, man. You got beat up enough today already." 

Akira smiles at the other, then looks back down again with a laugh. His eyes then meet Ryuji's again and he can't hold back another laugh. Ryuji looks confused. 

"Dude, what? What did I say?" Ryuji keeps trying to look Akira in the eye while the other faces forward. Then Akira throws an arm over his shoulder and hugs him sideways for a second. 

"I don't know if that was a good pep talk or a bad one, but it worked." The formerly dejected teen now seems more content. Ryuji smiles. 

"I think if it works, that would make it good." His comment has both of them nodding thoughtfully, like it was a very philosophical idea. 

Soon enough, they split off towards their own homes with a wave. Without thinking about it, Ryuji calls out a little "love ya!" with his goodnights. He doesn't even realize it, continuing to walk off towards his home. 

"Oh, you're back. It's late, isn't it?" Sojiro greets Akira while he cleans up, about to head out. The man looks up and raises an eyebrow. "Did something good happen today? You have quite the smile on your face." The man finds himself smiling a little as well, as it was rare before to see the boy smile so wide. Akira doesn't answer, just says goodnight before going upstairs. Sojiro shakes his head and continues to clean before he heads out. 

When Akira hears the bells ding and the door shut, he waits a second before jumping up in the air and fist pumping with a grin. Morgana sleepily crawls out of the bag, looking curiously at the very excited boy, now doing a spin like an ice-skater. 

"You are so weird..." the cat mumbles, hopping up on the bed. Akira stops his spin and bows dramatically at the bed with a cheeky grin before standing up straight and fixing his glasses with a perfectly straight face. Morgana rolls his eyes. "I will never understand you, Joker." 

Once he stops acting like an overly dramatic giddy schoolgirl, Akira lays down and texts the group that he and Morgana got home safe. Before putting it down, there was other business to attend to. He definitely needed to send some thanks to a certain someone. 

**Akira: I feel like I owe you some gratitude.**

**Makoto: Oh whatever for?**

**Akira: Now this may come as a surprise**

**Akira: I've been seeing a certain someone.**

**Makoto: Oh wow, how surprising!**

**Makoto: However did that happen?**

**Akira: My head-turning charm and wiles.**

**Makoto: I bet.**

**Makoto: I bet there was no other reason besides that.**

**Akira: Nope, I did it all on my own, have nobody to thank but myself.**

**Makoto: What is her name?**

**Akira: Ryuji.**

**Makoto: She sounds lovely.**

**Akira: She does have nice legs. Very muscular.**

**Makoto: Okay, seriously now.**

**Makoto: I'm glad I was able to help.**

**Akira: Yeah.**

**Makoto: Will you tell the other's about you two?**

**Akira: I'm sure they already know.**

**Makoto: You should still tell them, Akira. Make it official.**

**Akira: I will when there is a right time.**

**Makoto: If you say so.**

**Makoto: But I believe there have been more "right times" than you are willing to admit.**

A minute passes. 

**Makoto: Am I right?**

Three minutes pass. 

**Makoto: Answer me.**

**Akira: I don't know.**

**Makoto: Just between you and me**

**Makoto: I think you want to make it official.**

**Makoto: Shout it from the rooftops. Scream through a megaphone. Tell everyone.**

**Makoto: But I think you're scared of how he would feel about that.**

**Makoto: You wonder if he would want the same or if he would be embarrassed to admit to it.**

**Makoto: Am I wrong?**

**Akira: You should stop trying to tell me what I think, Makoto.**

**Akira: My mind is my own, I don't want you reading it.**

**Makoto: My apologies, I have overstepped my boundaries.**

**Makoto: I do hope for what is best for you. I am available if you ever need anything.**

**Akira: Yeah.**

**Akira: Thanks.**

**Makoto: Sleep well Joker, that's an order.**

Akira puts his phone down, glad that Morgana was already asleep and nod bugging him about sleeping too instead of texting. He felt troubled, mainly because Makoto, again, was completely right. He was worried that Ryuji might be ashamed to have everyone know they were together, or that he didn't actually even want to be _together_ together. 

Akira shakes his head, clearing his thoughts as he shoved his face into his pillow for a moment. He had to stop letting stress get to him like this. With a sigh, he rolls onto his back and falls asleep. 

Tomorrow is another day, another adventure, another chance to mess everything up. No, he shouldn't keep thinking of it like that. Another day, another chance to make things right in the world. Yes, that's better. Morgana said they're making good progress, and they have about 10 days left to beat this. There is nothing to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've wanted Makoto and Akira to have a completely sarcastic conversation at some point and finally I've done it. Also fricking empath Makoto being an interrogator and friend. Too bad Akira treasures personal mind-space. Anyway yeah, more to come eventually. Think I wanna get further in the game before writing more so it may be a lil while I apologize!   
> (/>~<\\)


	12. Sleepless Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The best things happen in the dark." - Lazy Masquerade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't made it very far. I believe I am one step away from finding Kaneshiro'a treasure, but I won't be able to play for at least a week because I'm on vacation without my PS4 so yeah. Enjoy this basically text conversation filler?

A text message in the middle of the night startles Akira awake. He looks around worriedly for Morgana, but the cat is not in his usual place on top of him or nearby him. It doesn't look like he's on the sofa either, judging by the light from the window. Rubbing his eyes, Akira picks up his phone and squints at it. 

Ryuji? What's he up so late for?

**Ryuji: hey man**

**Akira: What are you doing still awake?**

**Ryuji: i could ask you the same thing**

**Akira: Your text woke me.**

**Ryuji: oh duh yeah that would make sense**

**Ryuji: but uh**

**Ryuji: i dunno really**

**Ryuji: just cant sleep**

**Akira: Why not?**

**Ryuji: see thats the thing is i dont effin know!**

**Akira: Warm milk is supposed to make you sleepy, I think.**

**Ryuji: i dont wanna wake my mom by microwaving some milk**

**Akira: Would that really wake her up?**

**Ryuji: i dunno, she always woke up real easy when i was little**

**Ryuji: really makes things hard sometimes**

**Akira: Like what?**

**Ryuji: like making noise at night, things like games or tv or other stuff**

**Akira: Other stuff?**

**Ryuji: you know what i mean**

**Akira: I'm not sure I do.**

**Ryuji: ugh, yknow, like stuff stuff**

**Akira: Stuff stuff? As opposed to just one stuff.**

**Ryuji: xactly**

**Akira: What makes stuff stuff special?**

**Ryuji: oh come on you know what im talking about!**

Akira doesn't answer for a few moments, smirking devilishly at his phone. 

**Ryuji: like i dunno, STUFF stuff, man!**

**Akira: I think you need to be a little more specific.**

**Ryuji: ah**

**Ryuji: no.**

**Akira: :(**

**Ryuji: im not going to say it, i know youre just messing with me!**

**Akira: What am I messing with you about?**

**Ryuji: youre really annoying sometimes you know that**

**Akira: What did I do?**

**Ryuji: ... are you seriously asking or are you joking about all this**

**Akira: It's a secret.**

**Ryuji: f u**

**Akira: ;p**

Akira can't help but chuckle at his phone. Ryuji's annoyed tone after his confusion was so easy to hear through his words. It made Akira's chest ache a little as he wished he could actually hear it. 

**Akira: But I understand, man. Morgana + privacy is incompatible**

**Ryuji: oh shit yeah thats even worse aint it**

**Akira: I suppose so.**

**Akira: He did offer to let me hold his paw though.**

**Ryuji: ???????**

**Akira: I stared at an Adult Store for too long and he got the idea that I'm lonely.**

**Ryuji: are you lonely?**

**Akira: Sometimes.**

**Ryuji: :/**

**Ryuji: i want to fix that**

**Akira: What are you offering?**

**Ryuji: i dunno, i just dont like the idea of you being lonely**

**Akira: Well I've already got a beautiful and caring boyfriend who reminds me that I'm not alone all the time.**

**Ryuji: huh??**

**Ryuji: who is he?**

**Akira: You?**

**Ryuji: oh**

**Ryuji: OH**

**Ryuji: im your boyfriend?**

**Akira: Do you want to be?**

**Ryuji: thats fine**

**Akira: I didn't ask if it was fine, I asked if you want to officially be my boyfriend.**

**Ryuji: um**

**Ryuji: i uh**

**Ryuji: dont take this the wrong way, im not rejecting you or nothing**

**Ryuji: but i dont know about how i feel about having a boyfriend.**

**Akira: Oh.**

**Ryuji: im not rejecting you!**

**Ryuji: just can we call ourselves something else instead?**

**Akira: Would you rather have me as your girlfriend?**

**Akira: I can do a lovely falsetto.**

**Ryuji: haha no**

**Ryuji: i was just thinking of something more like partners or something**

**Akira: Partners...**

**Akira: That sounds good to me.**

**Akira: I was thinking of something along the lines of lovers, but that has implications.**

**Ryuji: yeah that sounds a little more intense than boyfriends even**

**Akira: Yeah.**

A minute passes, and Akira doesn't know what to say. His heart was soaring, Ryuji was officially his "partner" and it felt pretty great. But he doesn't know how to continue from here, actually. He just wanted to kiss him or lay by his side and hold him. 

**Ryuji: i miss you**

**Akira: I just saw you yesterday.**

**Ryuji: yeah i know thats not what i meant**

**Ryuji: i miss hanging out with you, just the two of us**

**Ryuji: when even was the last time we went out for ramen or took some time training?**

**Akira: Yeah...**

**Akira: I'm sorry.**

**Ryuji: huh?**

**Ryuji: what are ya sorry for?**

**Akira: I've been busy, even outside of the palace there hasn't been much time for just the two of us because I've been busy with other people.**

**Ryuji: oh yeah but thats fine man**

**Ryuji: i dont mind you hanging out with others**

**Akira: That's good. I felt bad when I had to turn you down a couple days ago because of a clinical trial for Takemi...**

**Ryuji: that was disappointing but it doesnt matter dude**

**Ryuji: i was just sayin I wish we had more time to be just us**

**Akira: Agreed.**

**Akira: Hey, after we defeat Kaneshiro, I'll take you out wherever you want.**

**Ryuji: like a date?**

**Akira: Yes.**

**Ryuji: yes!**

A grin stretches across Akira's face. Not only did he get a yes, he also got an exclamation point! He rolled back and forth on his bed a little to release the joyous feeling. He then pauses mid-roll, worrying that he disturbed Morgana. Wait, that's right, he didn't know where he was. The window isn't open, so he didn't go outside. Maybe downstairs? Whatever. 

**Ryuji: man now im never gonna get to sleep**

**Akira: Why not?**

**Ryuji: im all excited now, dude!**

**Ryuji: where we gonna go? should i dress up?**

**Ryuji: please tell me i dont gotta be too fancy**

**Akira: You think I can afford a fancy restaurant?**

**Akira: It'll be somewhere nice but even I don't want suit and tie nice.**

**Ryuji: haha yeah I shoulda thought of that**

**Ryuji: but hell, you could take me to any shit hole place and id be fine if im there with you**

**Akira: You slay me, love.**

**Ryuji: ;D**

Akira sighs one of those long, dreamy sighs that he always has to hold back whenever Ryuji says shit like that in person. He wishes he could see that big grin with the slightly flustered blush across his face that he was sure Ryuji would give him if he was in front of him. 

**Akira: Dammit now I won't be able to sleep either.**

**Ryuji: why?**

**Akira: I keep thinking about you.**

**Ryuji: think about me in your dreams then!**

**Akira: That sounds like it could be pretty fun.**

**Ryuji: fun how?**

**Akira: Who knows what could happen within my unconscious.**

**Ryuji: hey**

**Ryuji: dont think about doing anything weird with dream me**

**Akira: Don't worry Ryuji, I know how to show dream you a good time.**

**Ryuji: dude.**

**Ryuji: stop making that face i know youve got that flirty effing smirk on your face right now**

**Akira: Then is it safe to assume that you have a blush all over your face?**

**Ryuji: oh boy man i really feel sleepy now thanks for the talk bro i should really get some sleep now**

**Akira: Haha, okay.**

**Akira: Don't stay up too late thinking about me. ;)**

**Ryuji: GOODNIGHT.**

Akira chuckled softly at his phone, trying to imagine Ryuji's flustered face. Closing his eyes, he decides that the next few days will be solely for taking down Kaneshiro. He simply couldn't wait to see that flustered face in person. 

Akira is extra glad that Morgana decided to be somewhere else this night when he entertains the thought of making good on his word for Dream Ryuji, but minus the dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why does Morgana always end up being absent at the most convinient times in this? The world may never know~ (I'm a lazy writer) thank y'all for still reading this I'm sorry it's gotten slow :0 !


	13. The Spoils of Victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaneshiro can get squashed, and a promise of time spent together can get fulfilled. For once, battling for life or death isn't the most important thing to happen this day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ~~Oh boy. Ohhh boy. It's been so long I know. And I come back with. This. Uhh, rating warning for this chapter. It gets a little spicy. Anyway, enjoy?~~
> 
> EDIT: I have cleaned this fic up from the filth of shameless smut (shameful smut) so now it's more simple NSFW instead of explicit NSFW. The filth has been moved to its own fillet thing which is linked at the point where it starts. Enjoy.

The treasure is located and the calling card sent and the infiltration complete. Kaneshiro was waiting for them. The purple man whined and insulted and proved himself to be more and more pathetic. The team stance themselves for battle and brace for what kind of shadow abomination this money grubbing creature would become.

His lackeys look scared as the man convulses, and the team takes a cautious step back. The sound of bones cracking fills the air as the man shakes, bending over on himself and puking black sludge on the floor. To his left, Akira hears Ryuji make a grossed out noise.

The Thieves continue to watch on in horror as the man mutates instead of melt into a shadow like the others. It was a bit jarring at first. Kaneshiro rubs his hands together, making a buzzing sound as wings sprout from his back. Twitching, he looks up with big bug eyes, his tongue flicking out against his lips to top off the disgusting image. They take in the disturbing sight for a moment before bright laughter fills the chamber. Everyone turns to look at Joker, who seems to be quite amused as he leans back with each laugh.

"Bit on the nose, isn't it?" He says, gesturing towards the literal fly man with a grin. "What a freaking joke."

The battle begins, Kaneshiro being angered at being made fun of. The rest of Akira's team find it amusing too, and enter the fight in high spirits. The twitchy bug-man is easy to hit and hurt, and the battle seems to be going almost too easily. Compared to the nightmare fueling facial features that Madarame became, or the stomach churning googly eyed king Kamoshida turned into, this was strangely unimpressive.

However, Kaneshiro was able to do something strange that had Morgana cowering suddenly.

"I suggest we run!" The cat-thing yelled, looking rather terrified. Akira looked confused at his teammate, then turned in even more surprise towards Ryuji.

"Y-yeah, I ain't scared or nothin' but I don't know if this is a good idea." The blonde bends over a little, gently punching his hands together like he was nervous.

"You kidding? Snap out of it you guys! You can't tell me you're afraid of this insect?" Akira looks back and forth between the two cowering teammates.

"I ain't a-afraid!" Ryuji looks like he's trying to look offended, but he doesn't succeed. Akira rolls his eyes and sighs.

"Well, they've been compromised." Makoto announces, looking at her leader apologetically. The two sigh, but the fight continues easily until Makoto suddenly starts shaking as well. At least at that point, Morgana was free from the weird status ailment. The battle continued, though it became less and less simple as half the team was too busy cowering to fight at a time. Finally, Kaneshiro pauses, and Akira makes the mistake of thinking they've got him.

The Fly retreats into the giant safe behind him, and the team watches as the locks open and turn into...!

A giant metal pig. Akira blinks a couple times before snorting, ignoring whatever bullshit Kaneshiro was spouting about his pigbot.

"It's kinda cute." He comments, smirking. Makoto, now unafraid once again, nods with a snicker.

"If a bit overdone. First a fly on dirty money, now a literal pig. I wonder if there will be another form of some other sort of money grubber symbolism." She stances herself for battle, tightening her fists in the thick metal knuckles she had on.

The robot pig, Piggytron as Kaneshiro called it, was formidable. At least it wasn't able to affect the team with uncharacteristic fear like the fly. It was hard to find the giant metal pig frightening. Sure it was huge and looked almost indestructible, but they knew they could handle it. And handle it they did. The beast was slain, and the insignificant fly took his turn cowering in fear. The display was beyond pathetic.

Loading the Mona-car with giant blocks of gold was easier than expected, though it made sitting inside uncomfortable. It just got more uncomfortable as they drove directly off the edge of the floating platform, falling into the abyss. When they landed, they were back in their normal clothes in the normal world, but in the middle of the bustling street. They manage to save Morgana from getting hit by a car while he was M.I.A. due to taking a briefcase to the face.

They decide to group up together in LeBlanc to go over what happened. Makoto was impressed with Akira's room, though she thought it odd that he would have a room above the coffee shop. He didn't have a proper house?

Makoto felt a swell of pride as everyone marveled at her cracking the case open, even though it was really quite simple. She felt... useful. And not in the way that she usually felt useful, doing something just because she is told to. No, this usefulness came from feeling the genuine appreciation from the group for her being there. She wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Sadly, it came time for them all to part. Akira was put in charge of holding onto the golden case filled with fake money. He figures he could at least make hundreds of paper airplanes out of them or something. Idly, the thought of origami swans crossed his mind, but the thought didn't seem to be his own. He didn't even know how to do that. After everyone left, Akira was not surprised to find that Ryuji stuck around, idly kicking the stool at the counter in the empty café.

"Man, I am so bummed that money wasn't real. Dumb symbolism bull crap." Ryuji kicks the chair harder, making it wobble. Akira leaned against the booth table across from him. He just nods in his agreement. "I mean, could you imagine how much better things would be if we had cash like that?!" The blonde leans back and sighs wistfully, closing his eyes as he imagined what could have been. "Maybe I'm bein' just like that bastard for wantin' to be richer."

"While Kaneshiro was a money obsessed asshole, I agree that being well off would not be a problem." Akira nods more. "Wanting to be richer isn't a bad thing, allowing that desire to overtake your entire being is."

"Well said, Joker! That's exactly what us Phantom Thieves are fighting for!" Morgana pads over from the stairs before hopping up onto the counter. Akira's throat tightens a little imagining what Sojiro would say if he saw the cat where the drinks are served, but he keeps his mouth shut.

"Yeah!" Ryuji fist pumps into the air, jumping up. "We are so freakin' badass, fighting distortion in the hearts of the world! I just wish everyone could see that and agree." The blonde makes a sour face, and Akira decides to change the subject.

"Aren't you tired? You spent a lot of energy in that fight. What are you still doing here?" The diversion seemed to work, Ryuji leaning back against the counter now and tossing his head back and forth to stretch his neck.

"Yeah, I'm hella tired. But I wanted to stay with you." The sheepish look Ryuji gives could make Akira melt right there into an unruly little puddle. "Is that alright? I mean you said we could chill again after beating Kaneshiro, and like, we kicked his ass so, I count it as a victory today." He shrugs. "The trains're still going so I can leave if you w-"

In seconds, Akira is stepping forward and grabbing Ryuji by the shoulders, tugging him into a kiss. He doesn't give a flying fuck about the disgusted noise Morgana made, instead only focusing on the way Ryuji initially tensed up before he relaxed again. They parted a moment later and Akira smirked at the bright blush on the other's face.

"Uh. So is that a yes to me staying over?" Ryuji asks with a flustered little smile. Akira nods and steps back while Ryuji fist pumps in victory. "Hell yeah!"

"Ugh. I don't understand you two." Morgana shakes his head before sitting back and scratching behind his ear. "So I think I'll go take a walk for a while, don't stay up too late. And try not to look too indecent when you go to sleep, I will be coming back and there are just some things my eyes do not want to see." Ryuji snorts out a laugh and Akira just nods dutifully. The black haired boy reaches over an pats Morgana on the head thankfully.

"Thank you. I promise that we'll have pants on." He says. Morgana sighs defeatedly.

The three of them go upstairs, making sure the downstairs was all locked up. The two wave their goodbyes to Morgana as he climbs out the window. Once alone, Ryuji rocks back and forth on his heels, clapping his hands in front of him then behind him repeatedly.

"Soooo, what'd'you wanna do? Even after all we did today I'm hardly all that tired." Ryuji asks, continuing to rock and clap and looking at Akira who seemed to be studying his movements.

"Hm." Is all Akira responds with, bringing his hand up to his chin thoughtfully. Ryuji stops his arms and feet, tilting his head suspiciously.

"What's goin' on in that pretty head of yours?" Ryuji leans forward with eyes narrowed. "Are you getting ideas?" A thin grin spreads across Akira's face as he meets Ryuji's gaze.

"Oh I have _plenty_ of ideas." His tone was that weird seductive one that Ryuji always hated before. But now for some reason it made his face heat up in a different way.

"Uh." He swallows, unsure how to respond as he searches that grey eyed gaze. Akira's eyes are unhelpful and only makes his face heat up more. Why was it different this time? Just because he knows it's actual flirting now? That it might be entirely serious? That's actually a legitimate reason. He should flirt back, do something other than be the blushy shy one. "How about you name a few of your ideas and we'll go from there?" He says, doing his best to make that seductive expression like Akira had. It turns out that he fails as Akira's facade breaks into laughter.

"Don't make that face, dude. You just look... weird." He comments, reaching over with both hands to squish Ryuji's cheeks in as the boy makes a grumpy face instead. Akira releases the pressure on his friend's cheeks but leaves his hands there. "You look much better just being yourself." He says, drinking in the flustered look on the others face with a self satisfied smile. Ryuji is unable to turn his head away because of the hands holding him in place.

"You can't just say something like that, dude. How am I supposed to keep up?" Ryuji pouts, and Akira just cannot resist closing his teeth around that turned bottom lip. The noise Ryuji makes at that was a lovely mix of surprise, arousal, and confusion. Pressing forward more leads to a fuller kiss, and one hand on Ryuji's face moves down to his shoulder before the other one does too. The two step closer until they are just standing with their arms around each other as if they were trying to fit in the same place. Akira pulls back from the kiss with a soft smile.

"Ryuji. It's not about keeping up or being on top. I love you for you, that's what matters. You matter the most." His reassurance plus confession makes the air freeze in the small space between them. For once, Akira actually looks pretty sheepish and Ryuji could definitely get used to seeing that expression more. But there were bigger things on his plate.

"You... love me? Like, _love me_ love me?" He asks, a finger tapping nervously where his hand rested on the other's hip. He already knew that Akira loved him, they've said as much plenty before. But this was different. Somehow.

"I _love you_ love you, Ryuji." Akira confirms, and the grin that spreads across the blonde's face is practically blinding.

"Yeah! I love you love you too, man!" Ryuji can hardly control his smile when he tries to kiss Akira again, and the two end up laughing at their failure to keep the smiles off their faces enough to kiss properly.

They don't stop trying, though, and silently they decide to sit down instead. Ryuji walks backwards as guided by Akira's body until then back of his knee bumps into the mattress. He sits down with a flop, and it isn't long before Akira actually sits himself on his lap. Ryuji tries not to swoon.

Ryuji's hands find their way onto Akira's lower back as the other's hands grip his shirt on his chest and shoulder. Ryuji tries to keep up, accidentally licking Akira's nose while he tried to meet the other's tongue when it was pushed into his mouth. He couldn't help it when they're all moving and crap. He apologizes quickly and tries to back up so Akira could wipe his nose off but Akira instead presses forward, moving his entire body into the other.

Ryuji's back was starting to hurt from leaning back but not sitting or laying down, so he lets himself fall back into the bed. Akira doesn't seem to mind, the opposite actually. Ryuji started having flashbacks to their first kissing session. He feels Akira's shirt ride up a bit so he takes the opportunity to touch the skin of his hip bone. It seemed like Akira shook for a moment, but Ryuji didn't have much time to think about it since Akira decided that was the best moment to roll his hips down directly onto Ryuji's. He could definitely live with more of that.

[Things only escalate from there.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11848545) It begins with Ryuji mindlessly sliding his hands up under Akira's shirt, and then clothes started getting removed and hands wandered. Ryuji was nervous of course, the anxiety eating him from the inside out. But it was no match for his feelings for Akira. This was the guy who saved his life in more ways than one and made Ryuji feel actually worthwhile. If there were any question she left about his sexuality, they got answered tonight. Ryuji probably would've been fine if a god damn snake literally came out of his partner's pants.

...

Okay maybe he would feel a little hesitant about that. But that's not the point, the point being that Ryuji felt like he was right where he was meant to be, and while the night started with very little thought about what they were actually getting into, it ended with them not regretting a single second. Except Ryuji may regret a few of the noises he made, even though he knew it was safe with Akira, it was still fuckin' embarrassing. But then again, it was hard to dwell on that when he had Akira right in his lap with his tongue on his hand. If Akira had no qualms about sucking his own spunk off Ryuji's fingers, then Ryuji could deal with a few pathetic moans.

"Was it good?" Ryuji asks hesitantly as Akira finished licking his hand. Akira nods soundlessly, pressing a kiss to his palm before letting go of him.

"Better than good, better than best." The dark haired boy sighs happily, turning to pull Ryuji into a single intimate kiss. "I love you." He says, looking more relaxed that Ryuji had seen him in a while. He felt pride shoot through him as he grins.

"Hell yeah! I love you too." He tugs Akira into another kiss. "I can't believe that actually happened, holy shit."

"I know. I'm still afraid I might be dreaming." Akira confesses and Ryuji laughs as he stands up to go steal a pair of Akira's pants and brings a pair over for Akira too.

"Trust me, I'm not going anywhere. And if this were a dream, we wouldn't have to worry about wearing pants for your over sensitive cat." Ryuji tosses Akira the second pair as he puts on his own. Akira makes a frowny face, donning his leg wear.

"Oh yeah. Damn."

The two, now semi decent, lay down together again. Tucked against each other, they just close their eyes and breathe, simply enjoying the company. Not long after, Morgana crawls back in through the window.

"Oh thank god." Morgana mutters to himself, laying down on the sofa, still distrustful of the bed. Akira and Ryuji try not to snicker too loud, as they heard the cat. Moments later, they definitely hear the cat snap at them to shut up and go to sleep.

They sleep in too long and are late to school. Sojiro shakes his head as the disheveled boys run out the door, hand in hand. His suspicion was right that he shouldn't go upstairs to wake the kid up. Who knows what those two hooligans got up to. Still, a smile crosses his face. Despite being late, the two ran out into the morning drizzle without an umbrella and grins on their faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have an excuse. I could've dragged it out longer before they did anything but realistically c'mon they're like, high school boys who have a ton of stress and pressure on them. Plus I just like the idea of thirsty af Akira. Like damn, he's not even subtle.  
> Comment and kudos are wonderful and I love them! ~~I hope this chapter isn't an embarrassment to my family name.~~ EDIT: I have no longer shamed my family here. Just here. I am shameful elsewhere. *dies*  
>  At least now if this were a tv show it'd be allowed to be aired but with a mature rating and a severe parental guidance warning or whatever. Idk. Probably not as bad as game of thrones.


	14. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After doing the do, Ryuji and Akira decide that they've probably held off on telling their friends for long enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOOOOOOO hey hi hello guess who finally finished this god damn chapter after like five hundred eons. I swear I have an excuse that I could beat for hours but I'm just gonna leave it at: Life. And yes yes I know I could've concentrated more on this one instead of doing other things but like. Motivation becomes very low when Depression™ happens. Also anxiety, the longer I took to write this the more I felt like people were judging me and thinking I got to the point of writjng the porn and give up on writing more because there's nothing ~*fun*~ left to write well leT ME TELL YOU. This puppy will go down until it's got a solid ending. Okay well I've talked enough in the freakin notes so now let's just get to the story here you go enjoy

When the two lovers (Ryuji personally felt like throwing himself into the abyss of embarrassment when he realized that the word was more accurate now) woke up with the morning sun, everything seemed to be wonderful. Except for the minor aches that came with sleeping in an unusual position. Limbs askew and crossed over another body was definitely unusual enough for the aches to take their hold. The soft rain outside was nice background noise, as well as the clinking of dishes downstairs and other sounds of the café. 

Ryuji snuggles closer to the guy he had a death grip on and buries his face in his fluffy hair. It tickles his nose and he decides that he should sit up when he feels himself about to sneeze. Akira probably would not appreciate him sneezing on the back of his head. Akira sits up as well, woken more fully by the loud sneeze of the boy beside him. Sleepily, he looks over at the tired, slouching teenager rubbing his nose with a gross snort next to him like he was the most beautiful thing. There was something on his mind that was bugging him though. Ryuji looks back down at him, rubbing his nose with the back of his wrist further before attempting to greet him into the day. 

"Good morni-" 

"Hey Ryuji. Last night happened, right?" Akira started his question the same time Ryuji started speaking, earning a frustrated look from the blonde. But as he thinks about Akira's question, the face turns into one of fluster, but happy fluster. 

"I sure hope it did." He responds, looking over with a grin. Akira sits up and kisses him before chuckling softly and getting up with a big stretch that left his mind fuzzy for a few seconds. 

"You have morning breath." The black haired boy informs his dear dear partner tactfully. Ryuji wrinkles his nose and frowns, looking offended and apologetic at the same time. 

"Sorry. But you do too, so, get over it." He sticks his tongue out at Akira childishly. The recipient didn't see it, but he knew it happened because of the mocking "mlehh" noise that is usually paired with such a gesture. Morgana stretches and yawns before glaring at the two of them. 

"Let us concur that you both have stinky mouths and are thus equally gross." Morgana decrees, sitting down with an air of superiority. 

"Hey, you smell like cat food Morgana, I don't want to hear anything from you." Akira points at his cat before checking his phone. "... shit." His eyes widen and he drops it back down, searching frantically for his school uniform that he quickly tries to put on. 

"What's the deal?" Ryuji asks in confusion, watching the other's frantic movements. 

"We're late. I usually leave 20 minutes ago. Get up, I won't hesitate to leave you behind." Akira warns, hopping on one leg while he tries to put a sock on. Ryuji searches for his shirt and a pair of Akira's school pants he could borrow, frowning. 

"Hey, what happened to the whole 'never leave each other behind' thing?" Ryuji pointed out, dressing quickly as Akira shoves his glasses on and gets his bag. 

"I'm a changed man." The Thief explains emotionlessly. Ryuji rolls his eyes, shoving his feet into his shoes before running up to join Akira, who was waiting and holding his hand out for him. So much for "changed man." Hand in hand, they rush down the stairs and the black haired boy pulls Ryuji straight past Sojiro, giving the two of them just enough time to shout out their good mornings. 

The rain was light, so they were in luck. They didn't have to worry about showing up soaking _and_ late, at least. Once in Shibuya, they ran past the place they first met, taking the path they first took together into the alley they first fell into the hell of Kamoshida's palace. 

They come to a grinding halt in the alley, school just ahead. Or more aptly, Akira grinds to a halt and won't let Ryuji go any further. 

"Dude, what are you doing? Come on, we gotta go or we'll never hear the end of it that we were late!" Ryuji complains, looking worriedly past his partner at the school that was going to ring its first bell in any minute. 

Akira is uncaring, even as Morgana peeks out a little to see what the hell was going on. The bespectacled boy pulls Ryuji into a kiss, wanting to be sentimental all of a sudden. It is over far too quickly but went on for far too long as well. Morgana recedes back into the bag, regretting peeking out. These displays of affection were totally not his style. 

"This is where we first really became friends. You told me not to ignore you, but I already knew I couldn't do that if I tried. We started our friendship and you brought so much light into my life. I know we're late for school and all, but I just wanted to say that you mean the world to me, Ryuji Sakamoto." Akira's genuine words had Ryuji feeling a bit dizzy. How was he supposed to respond to that? It made him unbelievably happy to hear, but they were still late and it was still raining. 

"Y-yeah! Me too! I'll tell you all about how much I love you for as long as we want later but I don't need another tardy mark on my schedule and neither do you, Mr. Probation! Come on." Ryuji pushes past Akira now, grabbing his arm to pull him along. "Where the hell did that even come from, dude?" Akira shrugs uselessly and Ryuji rolls his eyes, tugging more on Akira's wrist to get him to move it already. Shaking his head with a smile, the transfer student complies. They make it into their respective classes in literal seconds before the bell rings. Leave it to the First Two Phantom Thieves to pull off a down-to-the-wire, high stakes stunt like that. For Akira, Kawakami couldn't give less of a shit. Ryuji got a minor scolding, but nothing that he would actually care about. Akira's words echoed through his head all day, keeping him happy. His classmates elected not to mention that he looked really weird with a resting smile on his face, as opposed to a resting scowl. 

The whole team was at lunch that day, sans Yusuke of course. Akira announces proudly that they have an announcement to make. Ryuji shuffles in his seat with a flushed face, glad that Akira was taking care of it. He looks utterly stunned and betrayed when Akira metaphorically hands the mic to him saying "tell them, Ryuji." The two girls listen intently, and Makoto pulls her tape recorder secretly out so Yusuke could hear it himself later. She wanted to be inclusive, after all. Ryuji takes a deep breath, reminding himself that they already knew so why was it such a big deal? 

"So uh, everyone. Akira and I, uh. Well you see, we're... day-daaayt-... dating. Partners. In love. Just wanted to let you all know. Though you already knew. Haha..." Ryuji was crashing and burning, and Akira had to step in... 

"Yes. We wanted to tell you we are finally gettin' it on." The cheeky son of a bitch says with complete seriousness. Akira had only stepped in to make the situation worse for his poor blonde. Makoto covers her mouth with a surprised yet amused smile and a giggle at Akira's choice of phrase. Ann was a mix between finding it hilarious and gross. 

"I totally did not need to know that much." The twin tailed blonde says, shaking her head. Makoto chuckles a little, patting Ann's shoulder. Morgana agrees with a shake of his head. 

"You don't know the half of it..." The cat mutters, unheard. 

"If it's any consolation, he's bluffing. One of Joker's usual tricks to fluster us." The student council president turn to look confidently at the two boys. "Isn't that right?" 

Neither Akira or Ryuji respond. In fact, Akira had decided to play with a bit of his hair, checking out of the conversation now that the topic was more than just a joke, and Ryuji's foot was tapping the ground so quickly that his whole body seemed to bounce anxiously in place. Makoto looks between the two of them as her jaw drops. 

"No.... you seriously...? Well, that was fast." She sits back in her seat, grabbing her juice box and squeezing it as she sucked out the last of it. The box crushed easily, even though it was one of the bigger ones for thirstier children. Really, she liked the flavor and that their box shape made it easier to pack. Nothing childish about that!

But the current conversation had nothing to do with juice boxes. Akira rubs the back of his neck and smirks sheepishly at Makoto, then looking at Ann who now had Morgana next to her. 

"Oh, poor Mona. Having to deal with these two... these two." She tuts, and Morgana seems to have completely forgotten about his unsavory living situation with Akira as he purrs happily when Ann pats his head. Then Ann looks at Makoto with an eyebrow raised. "I'm surprised though, you didn't expect they'd have already done it? You really must not know much about teenage boys." Ann hides her quiet laughter behind her hand as Makoto sighs. 

"It is true. Perhaps I should have taken the documentaries more seriously..." she mutters to herself, earning a confused look from the others. She doesn't notice. 

"A-anyway, yeah. There it is. And if Akira here could learn to keep his damn mouth shut this conversation would have been much less awkward for the lot of us." Ryuji continues, elbowing Akira while he talks about him. Though when he looks over at his partner, That Look is on his face again and Ryuji's heart sinks to his toes. 

"You didn't complain about my mouth last night." The bastard teases, and Ryuji punches him in the arm. It's actually hard enough that he knocks him over a bit, making Akira have to catch himself with his hand on the bench. But the leader didn't seem to care as he laughed devilishly. Ryuji covers his face with a groan and drags his hands down. 

"Ughhh, god, at least Yusuke wasn't here to hear this." Ryuji sighs, trying to find comfort in at least one thing, anything. Makoto just keeps silent, turning off the tape recorder and slips it back into her bag unnoticed. 

"Okay okay, enough about that stuff. I want to hear the juicy bits. Who confessed to who??" Ann leans forward, excited. Ryuji raises his eyebrows. 

" _That's_ the juicy bits to you?" Ryuji shakes his head in disbelief. "All my friends are so weird." Akira covers his mouth with a snort, muttering something near Ryuji's ear. "Yes, I know that includes myself! Think I don't know I'm effin' weird?" Ryuji huffs. "There's have to be somethin' wrong with me to have to settle on you all." He winks, making it obvious that he was clearly joking. 

"Moving on." Makoto cuts in, attempting to direct the conversation back on track. "I am curious too. How did it go? How long ago? I'm sure I already know, but a confirmed date would be nice." 

"I don't know about a confirmed date, but I know that your advice is what gave me the balls to admit it to him, so yeah, I owe ya a huge thanks for that!" Ryuji grins, giving his teammate a big thumbs up. "You're the best!" Akira silently nods next to him, also supplying a thumbs up. 

"I owe you thanks too, Makoto, you have no idea how painful it was watching this guy deal with his dumbass oblivious crush this whole time." Morgana points at Akira with his tail and thanks her as well, though his words have Ryuji casting the cat an angry look. 

"I should thank you too, Makoto. I feel like we've all gotten closer, like there are hardly any hidden feelings left." Ann gives Makoto a thumbs up as well while flexing her other arm. "Our bonds are strong!" 

Makoto looks around at all of them, including Morgana who was still trying to figure out how to make his paw do a thumbs up without a thumb. An appreciative smile lights up her face as she looks at them all. 

"I should be thanking you all as well. Without you, I would surely be... well, I don't even want to think about that. But not only did you save my life at the risk of your own, but you took me in and made me one of you. I've never had friends I've felt this close to before. So, thank you." Makoto closes her eyes and tilts her head, still smiling. Ann "aww's" and tosses her arms around Makoto's shoulders, hugging her gently from the side. Makoto seems startled and squirms a little, but ultimately decides she liked the contact after Ann pulls away. 

"You're so sweet! How could we not include you?" Ann grins affectionately. 

"Yeah, you're pretty damn awesome too! Like, major props to you, I never thought you'd be able to punch like that." Ryuji leans over and smacks her good naturedly on the back. Makoto is shoved off balance a little bit, but she smiles wide before reaching over and doing the same to Ryuji. She knocks him off of his bench.

"Oops! Oh no, I'm sorry!" Makoto covers her mouth with both hands, looking terrified. However, Ryuji just gets up and brushes himself off with a laugh. Akira helps him pick out the bits of grass in his clothes. Ann can't hold back her laughter, the sound escaping through the cracks in her fingers as she covers her mouth. 

"You totally ate dirt!" She says when she gets her giggles under control enough to speak. Ryuji shoots her a glare, but is ultimately amused. He looks at Makoto with a grin of admiration. 

"Damn! Do you work out or something? You pack a lotta punch in the real world too!" Ryuji sounds honestly impressed, sitting back down on the bench. Akira silently nods his agreement. 

"Mm, no, I don't really lift weights or anything... though people have told me that my book bag is very heavy." Makoto responds, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear. With this information, Ryuji gets up again and tries to pick up the bag on the ground, grunting with effort as he lifts it up and onto his shoulder. It very clearly tips him to one side. 

"Holy shit, you ain't kiddin'! This thing is heavier than a damn toddler, Prez!" Ryuji puts the bag bag down, shaking out his hands. He sits back down and Akira casually throws his arm across the back of the bench. Makoto flushes a little and looks to the side, a little embarrassed about the weight of her bag. 

"Ahah... well, I have quite a lot of books. Though, I do wonder why you're measuring in toddlers." She smirks a little, curious. Ryuji shrugs, crossing one leg over the other and bouncing the floating foot back and forth. 

"Don't ask me, that's just the first thing that came to mind! Little dudes are heavy, man. I picked up my cousin once and almost dropped him. 'Course the lil' man was squirming all over the place, and this is when I was much younger. But, whatever, why am I even explaining myself?" Ryuji shakes his head. "Point is, the bag is heavy." 

"I didn't know you had cousins." Ann says, leaning forward in interest. "Or family outside your mom at all, really." She mumbles the last part, but it's enough for Ryuji to twist his mouth into a quick frown. 

"Yeah. My mom's got a sister that lives way out in the country in no-one-even-knows town. Don't get to see them much, but they stayed with us for a bit when uh, when we moved. Helped mom get back on her feet after, well, you know." Ryuji explains, rubbing the back of his neck at the end. Akira casually slips his hand down from the back of the bench to sit on Ryuji's shoulder comfortingly. However, Makoto tilts her head a little. 

"Ah, I don't want to bring up any bad memories if you don't want to talk about it. But, what is the 'you know?' Did something bad happen?" Makoto's words were kind and curious, careful not to overstep her bounds. Still, Akira's hand tightens its hold on Ryuji's shoulder. The blonde seems to be fine though. 

"Oh yeah, I guess you wouldn't know. Well uh, long story short, my dad was a total dickhead. He left us one day, leaving mom to take care of everything. I don't miss him in the slightest either, he never was a good dad, honestly." Ryuji sighs, shrugging. "And yeah, there's the abridged version of my tragic backstory." Makoto frowns, looking at him sadly. 

"Oh, I am so sorry. I knew you had some sort of familial difficulties since Principal Kobayakawa had very little sense of confidentiality. He talked about 'Sakamoto's situation' a few times. I never asked further. If I had wanted, I probably would have been able to learn everything about every student in this school." Makoto leans over and places a hand on Ryuji's knee to comfort him for just a moment, then sits back. "And, thank you for telling me. I know that it is difficult to share personal information." 

"Naaaaaah. Don't even worry 'bout it, it's nothin'. Still, glad you didn't sneak looking at my files, or anyone else." Ryuji flaps his arm dismissively. Then, Ann groans loudly. 

"Okay! Sorry but like, can we clear this gloomy air? It's a happy day, we don't have to suffer these two being so damn awkward about their feelings anymore! I count that as a good thing." Ann gestures to the two boys. "God, it was so painful watching you two. Freaking romantic comedy crap going on right in our group." 

"Yeah, now imagine _living_ with it." Morgana pitches in, sounding exasperated. The girls share a pitying groan for the cat, and the bell rings for the end of lunch. 

The day proceeds, and of course after school Ryuji insists on hanging out with Akira. They "study" together for a while, which was really just Akira actually studying while Ryuji whined about how bored he was. 

"Duuuuuude, it's been like an hour..." the blonde complains from his comfortable perch of hanging upside down off the side of the bed. Akira doesn't look up or miss a beat while he writes. 

"It's been 15 minutes. We've barely even started." 

"It feels longer, cmon, lets take a break already!" Ryuji flips over the side of the bed, rolling backwards in a somersault until he was seated on the floor. 

"You haven't done anything besides complain, Ryuji." This time, Akira looks up, unamused. "Come on, you've gotta study or else you'll fail. What's the capital of Russia?" 

"Huh? I don't effin' know, we never even went over that in class! We ain't bothering with fricken Russia or any of that shit for that matter. What're you even quizzing me on??" Ryuji has a point. There was no real reason he would need to know that, though then again the questions on tests seemed to be ridiculously obscure sometimes. What exactly does that optical illusion with A connecting to C have to do with biology anyway? 

"Still, at least be quiet or something, your complaining is damaging my calm." Akira gives Ryuji a "sucks to be you buddy" look and continues to look over his notes and write new ones. Pouting, Ryuji sits on the floor and just watches. He only watches for a short while before crawling over to sit a little behind him, since Akira had spread out all over the flor in front of him with papers and books. 

"How can you even stand this shit?" Ryuji whines again, and Akira tenses up a little. "I mean seriously, this is soooo boring. Talk to me for a bit, entertain me! C'mon, just five min-" Ryuji is cut off as Akira whirls around to slam Ryuji onto the floor, holding him down with his hands above his head. Ryuji's eyes widen as he looks up into Akira's face that was only inches away. He could swear, sometimes those grey eyes looked way more red than other times... 

"Ryuji, do not make me warm you again. I'm trying to concentrate here, get good grades. Do you want to see what happens if you keep bugging me?" Akira glares, but there is no hatred behind it in the slightest, never. Annoyance, yes, in abundance. But Akira's look of poisonous, angry, fiery hatred was only ever reserved for their enemies. 

Still, his expression held something in it. Similar to his expression during a normal battle with a normal shadow. It was intimidating as all hell, but made Ryuji's insides do flips that didn't actually feel unpleasant. It was a path he might just be willing to take. He meets Akira's warning glare with a cocky grin, emulating the expression Akira often has when he feels in charge of a situation. 

"Yeah? If it's got anything to do with a continuation like this, I think I might wanna see where it goes." Ryuji shifts his leg to wrap around one of Akira's thighs, and the leader of the Phantom Thieves looks honestly flustered for just a second. Then, with a glint in his eye, he leans down and catches Ryuji's mouth in a kiss. The blonde hums a pleased noise, thinking he is victorious. He doesn't even notice being slid closer to the worktable in the corner, nor does he notice the way Akira searched for something in a drawer of the worktable. How could he focus on any of that with Akira's tongue in his mouth and hand in his hair? 

This is his downfall, as Akira quickly ties Ryuji by his wrists to the leg of the table, making sure it was tight but not too tight to actually hurt. Ryuji is confused, red faced, and aroused when Akira pulls back and smirks at him. He looks at his hands tied and back at his partner, face just turning redder. 

"Whoa, Akira, this is a little... heh..." Ryuji raises his eyebrows, never thinking that they would end up moving into the kinkier shit so fast. Not that he's exactly complaining. Well, he wasn't complaining before Akira pulls out a piece of duck tape and covers it over Ryuji's mouth. Now he was complaining, just not verbally. More mumbly muffledy complaining. 

"There. Now you'll stay like that until I'm done, _then_ we can chill. Got it?" Akira smiles a deceptively friendly smile, and Ryuji grunts angrily. "Good!" The dark haired boy turns back to his homework without a care, moving himself just out of the reach of Ryuji's kicking feet. 

When finished, Ryuji is royally pissed off up until Akira actually makes good on his word and follows the unspoken idea Ryuji wanted from earlier. Turns out, it was not too early in the relationship for light bondage. It _was_ too early in the afternoon though, and the two ended up sitting through a very awkward lecture from Morgana. The two actually studied after that, under the very watchful eye of the cock-blocking cat. 

Morgana considers alternate living arrangements, cursing his cat form keeping him from moving out and getting his own place. 

Later that week, a conversation in the group chat has Akira partially wishing he actually did keep his mouth shut that day. 

**Yusuke: I have just been informed by Makoto of the budding romance in the group!**

**Yusuke: Firstly I would like to thank her again for sharing her recording of the conversation. It was touching to feel like I was able to really hear everything as if I were there, almost included in the conversation.**

**Ryuji: wait what**

**Yusuke: I wish it were possible for me to join you all during lunch break, but the idea is simply impossible.**

**Makoto: Oh no, Yusuke you weren't supposed to tell them!**

**Yusuke: Secondly, Akira and Ryuji, congratulations on the intercourse.**

**Ryuji: oh god HWAT**

**Akira: Yusuke i swear to god...**

**Yusuke: It was quite a pain to see you two dance around each other. I am glad that things have been settled.**

**Ryuji: im sorry u guys im gonna kill him**

**Yusuke: Furthermore, your willingness to share such personal affairs about your private sexual lives is somewhat admirable. I'd expect no less from out leader.**

**Akira: What is that supposed to mean?**

**Ann: ohh I am sooo screenshotting this**

**Ryuji: ann dont u f ing dare**

**Yusuke: The unashamedness of saying what you want is part of what it means to be a Phantom Thief. Let nobody's words of ill intent harm you.**

**Makoto: What have I done...**

**Akira: Yusuke can you not**

**Yusuke: I am not finished.**

**Yusuke: I also want to congratulate you on admitting your feelings in the first place. Accepting your desires is a way to keep them from distorting, I believe.**

**Yusuke: Of course in some cases this may vary. One may become over obsessive of their partner, which would distort the desire greatly.**

**Ryuji: i think im gonna die**

**Ann: I think I'm gonna die too lmao**

**Yusuke: However! I do not see something like this happening. The two of you are both wonderful individuals, and I have already seen how you bring out the best in each other.**

**Yusuke: Excuse how verbose I was, I just wanted to display my thoughts accurately.**

**Akira: Actually, that was kind of nice at the end there.**

**Ann: yeah! that was pretty cute**

**Yusuke: I don't know if I would describe my words as cute.**

**Ryuji: i would not describe em that way either**

**Yusuke: Also, seeing as the two of you are substantially close at heart, I have had a moment of inspiration.**

**Yusuke: During this time where we haven't much to do, I would like to request the two of you as models.**

**Yusuke: I simply must capture the love, trust, and desire held within you.**

**Ryuji: absolutely not!**

**Akira: Maybe if we have time.**

**Ryuji: bro!!**

**Yusuke: Wonderful. I am overjoyed to be witness to a relationship built on love as opposed to lust, though lust is also a concept I would like to explore at some point.**

**Ann: tmi...**

**Yusuke: In any case, I believe I must retire to my bed shortly. Thank you for your cooperation and again congratulations.**

Yusuke said nothing else, the final message remaining that night was from Makoto simply saying "I'm sorry." 

Morgana gained more respect for Yusuke, even if it was only for the fact that his words made Akira scream into his pillow for ten minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guess what I'm gonna talk more. I was actually thinking of pulling the explicit stuff out of this maybe? And putting it in its own fic as like an aside, so anyone who wasn't expecting or wanting that filth doesn't have to see it?? Idk. Anyway this chapter. I hope you liked this chapter. Next up is gonna be a new target and a new... target. Well, leave a comment if you want and if you haven't left a kudos up to this point then I assume you're reading for the purpose of loving to hate it which is cool too as long as y'all have a good time.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos fuel my life. I beg. Lil Oliver Twist right here, if Oliver Twist was a fanfiction writer begging for attention instead of food.


End file.
